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Saturday, September 3rd, 2005
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6:52p - Red Eye (2005)
Directed by Wes Craven
Written by Carl Ellsworth, Dan Foos
Cinematography by Robert D. Yeoman
Edited by Stuart Levy, Patrick Lussier
Running Time: 85mins
Main Cast:
Rachel McAdams .... Lisa Reisert
Cillian Murphy .... Jackson Rippner
Synopsis:
Hotal manageress Lisa is catching the redeye flight to Miami to attend the funeral of her Grandmother. With a fear of flying she is not distraught to find her plane delayed and the opportunity to calm herself before boarding. In the terminal she meets the bold and charming Jackson, who she is delighted to discover she is seated next to on the plane. Her opinion soon changes once she is in the air as she discovers Jackson is a professional assassin and that her manipulative power in her place of work is required to enable a killing. A deadly man sits outside her father's home waiting to strike if she refuses to help the murderous team.
Comments:
Wes Craven made a brave decision to abandon that which he has mastered over his career, after an extensive run of films that have ensured his name is requisite in any study of the horror genre. With Red Eye being the psychological thriller that it is, Craven is only minimally removed from familiarity and it is clear that his experience plays a significant part in creating a slick and perfectly arranged film that emanates horror tendencies. Indeed quality direction is required to claw the most from a screenplay that results in a running time of less than an hour and a half, and the auteur ensures that every shot serves to add some extra dimension to the story that is unfolding.
Highlighting the majority of anxieties and irritations that trouble air passengers, from late arrival to delayed flights and unexpected turbulence, Red Eye is consistently ominous, intense cinematography creating a sense of claustrophobia and concern even during simple procedures such as take off. What this allows for is the viewer to engage with the feelings of aviophobic Lisa, her sense of entrapment and restlessness constantly on display. The cramped environment of economy class remains persistent, repeated close-ups of Lisa and Jackson completely conveying the inextricable situation that must be dealt with.
McAdams is adequate as the nervous and emotional Lisa, displaying appropriate resourcefulness, yet never being over-confident or stern with her actions. Her desperation expands in admirable fashion throughout the journey as Craven ensures the lack of movement available to our protagonists is never cause for monotony, introducing new concepts and twists with every minute that ticks by. Cillian Murphy is fearsome and terrifying, as he was in Batman Begins, once again portraying his ability to be threatening upon demand; his piercing blue eyes and suaveness always cause for concern. Despite this his cool here is shockingly and ferociously undone when he swiftly headbutts Lisa, an attack that is both entirely unexpected yet wholesomely appropriate. It is moments such as this that adeptly create a gripping and tumultuous ride to the conclusion.
Red Eye does contain moments of disappointment, most noticeable the character of Cynthia (Jayma Mays) who is Lisa's temporary replacement at the hotel where she works. The comedic and humiliatingly naive nature of this girl is in total opposition to the rest of the film, and although it does potentially provide moments of light relief it does undermine the tension the rest of the film builds. It is also fortunate that scenes containing CGI are limited since the few that are present display a skill that has clearly been rushed. The closing act of Red Eye is little more than an opportunity for Craven to indulge himself with a stalking sequence not out of place in 'Scream', and is ultimately an average conclusion to an otherwise, albeit not particularly original, enjoyable movie.
Entertainment Value: 7/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 8/10
IMDB Vote: 7/10
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10:19p - The Skeleton Key (2005)
Directed by Iain Softley
Written by Ehren Krueger
Cinematography by Daniel Mindel
Edited by Joe Hutshing
Running Time: 104mins
Main Cast:
Kate Hudson .... Caroline Ellis
Gena Rowlands .... Violet Devereaux
John Hurt .... Ben Devereaux
Peter Sarsgaard .... Luke
Synopsis:
A young nursing student looking for a change in direction takes a job caring for a stroke victim in a cavernous house in the sprawling open space of Louisiana. Before too long she has discovered a whole host of voodoo paraphernalia in the attic and events start to take a questionable, and threatening turn.
Comments:
Entertainment Value: 5/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 6/10
IMDB Vote: 5/10
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