Red Eye (74%)

Director: Wes Craven     Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy     Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 85 minutes     Release Date: August 19, 2005     Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

For the second time in his career Wes Craven chose to direct a film that didn't fall into the horror genre and as with the first time he has made a film that is better than most films that have come before. Out of the 20 films that I have recently watched and reviewed, Red Eye stands as a solid thriller that is in the upper echelon of films directed by Craven.

I sat down and watched Red Eye for the first time last night and it was exactly the film I thought it would be. Short, sweet, entertaining and a whole lot of fun. It is a movie that I missed in theatres (that doesn't happen a lot) but one that I have always wanted to see. I can only imagine it playing even better on the big screen. 

It stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa, Cillian Murphy as Jackson and Brian Cox in an untitled role as Lisa's dad. Lisa is on her way back from a funeral out of town. She is about to catch the red eye back home where she works at a hotel as acting manager . At the hotel a famous and controversial politician is arriving at any moment. Lisa meets Jackson at the airport and they hit it off well. When she finds her seat on the airplane low and behold she is sitting next to Jackson. As soon as the plane takes off Jackson reveals his true self. He has been hired to force Lisa into getting the politician to switch rooms at the hotel. If she doesn't comply Jackson will have her father killed. It is up to Lisa to figure out how to save herself, her dad and the politician.

The Good:

The film runs a short 85 minutes (including credits) and is therefore a tightly edited and pulse racing thriller. Not a shot is wasted and not a scene runs on too long. It's shot really well too, with crisp and clear images and effective and moody lighting. The effects and sets look realistic and the leads all pull out great performances.

McAdams is likeable and sweet as Lisa. She brings an innocence and charm to her role making her character likeable from the very start and giving the viewer enough reason to care when the shit hits the fan. Murphy is amazing (isn't he always) as the bad guy and he just oozes evil with every line and action that he does. He comes off as very likeable at the beginning and when his character switches you right away end up hating him. And then there is Brian Cox!!! What more can I say than that: Brian Cox!!! Put him in a movie and it just becomes better, just like that.

The story is solid and fun, if not outrightly original. It's pretty much a given that Lisa is going to outwit and outsmart Jackson but the fun of the movie is how it keeps the audience guessing at how she will succeed at this. Stuck in a window seat, with Jackson on the other side of her it seems like there is no way she can escape him, or get the upper hand and it's a blast waiting, and trying to figure out how she will escape.

The Bad:

Although done in a short, taught and exciting way, the story is one that has been told many times before. It's not the most original story and it's not filled with anything spectacularly unique. The music is fun, but isn't as overpowering as it should be and with all that said and done the repeat factor of Red Eye doesn't hold up well. This is not a movie that you can watch over and over as once you know how it ends, the fun factor is slightly removed. Sure one or two viewings would work, and even a third many years down the line but the staying factor of Red Eye just doesn't seem to be that strong.

Minus the three leads, the acting here is just okay. Jack Scalia, who plays the ever important politician, is okay but nothing special and many of the small supporting roles pale in comparison to the rest of the cast. The irate passenger at the beginning is very badly acted and the irate hotel guests are generic and come of as poor stereotypes that don't really have much to complain about but do anyways.

The last scene in the movie is fun in a way but feels unnecessary and doesn't really add to the film; it doesn't take away anything either, it's just that it didn't really need to be there. On a a final note, here in the bad, I just want to mention the end credits. The movie runs a total of 85 minutes but if you take off the end credits it actually only runs 77 minutes. I have no problems with short films but as a guy who sits through the end credits of every movie I watch (it's a respect thing) this really pissed me off. I feel that the only reason those credits ran eight minutes was to bump the runtime to a respectable just shy of 90 minutes. There was no reason for them to be so long and slow. I know that the credits don't really say much about the movie but it bothered me a lot and I thought it was worth a mention.

The Ugly:

Not much in the way of anything ugly here. 

The Verdict:

Red Eye is a fun, tight and exhilarating thriller that will keep you questioning the outcome to the very end. It's well made, it looks really good and it's got an awesome performance from Cillian Murphy. Rachel McAdams is fun and beautiful and Brian cox is Brian Cox and you can never have too much of him in a film. There are a few weak performances and it's not terribly original but the film is still an exciting and fun 85 (77) minutes of adrenaline pumped thrills. It may not be as exciting after a couple of views but it still comes highly recommended for those who haven't seen it. 

Recommendation: Collateral 

           Re-playability: 6 out of 10     Directing: 8 out of 10     Originality: 6 out of 10                 

Costumes and Make-up: 8 out of 10     Acting: 7 out of 10     Editing: 9 out of 10

Cinematography: 8 out of 10     Music: 7 out of 10     Script: 7 out of 10

         Production Design (Sets/Locations/Special Effects): 8 out of 10                  

Total Score = 74%