DVD Giveaway - Solitary Man
Ends Sep 12, 2010
Enter to win this DVD release starring Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandan, and Mary-Louise Parker.
Jackson (CILLIAN MURPHY) threatens Lisa (RACHEL McADAMS) when she tries to
summon help in DreamWorks Pictures’ suspense thriller RED EYE, directed by Wes Craven.
Photo Credit: Gemma La Mana
When I see an advertisement for a Wes Craven film, my pulse begins to race in anticipation of another one of his great horror films. Unfortunately, that is not anything close to what we get with Red Eye. What we get is the potential for a great suspense thriller which ultimately falls short of what could have been a really good film.
Lisa Reisert (McAdams) is a hotel manager in Miami, and the kind that every irate vacationer loves to see when they are upset. She basically gives the house away to calm them down. While on a return trip from burying her grandmother in Dallas, she is delayed in the airport where she meets the intriguing stranger, Jackson Rippner (Murphy) who comes across as a nice guy. A bit of flirtation ensues between the two, but before any real sparks can begin to fly, it’s time to board the plane. As fate would have it, Lisa and Jackson are seated together where he now seems more like a husband rather than a stranger. After takeoff, Lisa’s world literally falls out from underneath her as Jackson reveals that if she doesn’t change the room assignment for the Director of Homeland Security, who is checking into Lisa’s hotel the next morning and is a good friend of hers, then her father will be assassinated. Lisa is now forced to either save the life of her father or her important political friend, and she is stuck on an airplane next to the window with no way to call for help without endangering everyone else on the plane.
The plot of the film is a good one but has more than its fair share of holes. We never know whom Jackson is working for or why they want to assassinate the main target. The pace of the film is steady, but then again, how much can you do on an airplane? The suspense is genuine and enough to keep your attention, and with no real special effects to clutter up the screen. It’s a refreshing break from all the CGI-laden films in the rest of the theatre. The biggest problem is the length of the movie: coming in at just under 85 minutes (including credits), it feels rushed in places.
The acting is solid between the two main characters. Rachel McAdams continues to show audiences why she is going to be around for a long time. She portrays Lisa as a tough, independent woman but still sensitive enough to cry for about half of the movie. Cillian Murphy looks creepy from the outset but when he cranks up the evil side of his persona on the plane, the natural nastiness shines forth and by the middle of the movie you may find yourself wishing that great bodily harm will come to him. For the Survivor fans, Colby Donaldson (The Outback & All-Stars) makes his big screen debut as the head of the security detail for the Director of Homeland Security. While his role is of no real importance to the film, he pulls the role off well but appears a little stiff at times. Another casting bonus is to see if you can find Wes Craven in the film. Here’s a hint, he’s an airline passenger.
Red Eye won’t win any Oscars but it is an entertaining film. It’s the kind of film that men can take their dates to and still enjoy and not having to worry about getting makeup and eyeliner off their shoulders after all the crying is done. They’ll just have to let the fingernail marks on their arm heal instead.
