The Eye

Tags

2000's, Alessandro Nivola, David Moreau, Horror, Jessica Alba, Parker Posey, Supernatural Horror, The Eye, Xavier Palud

Film Title

The Eye

Directors

David Moreau and Xavier Palud

Starring

• Jessica Alba as Sydney Wells
• Alessandro Nivola as Paul Faulkner
• Parker Posey as Helen Wells

A horror movie that is in desperate need of some scares and could have been a lot better, The Eye feels like a failed opportunity. Some of the visuals are good as well as the music, but the rest of it is a complete mess that never grabs the attention. After seeing this I think I’ll check out the original film as I am certain it will be a lot better than anything this one offers.

Sydney Wells is a beautiful concert violinist who has been blind since a childhood game went wrong. She has learned to function with her other senses since then, but has always wanted to regain sight. Luckily for her, she is about to undergo a cornea transplant which is hoped to work for her. The transplant appears to be successful and slowly Sydney begins to regain the sight she has wanted for so long. Yet this enthusiasm is cut short by the fact that her vision seems to pick up on unexplainable things. She glimpses dead people and a constant scene of fire that remains unclear, yet refuses to leave. Knowing that she isn’t going insane, she attempts to confide in her visual therapist Paul Faulkner. He wants to help her, but doesn’t believe her story of seeing supernatural events around her that don’t have any scientific logic to them. Gradually becoming more isolated and terrified of what she sees, Sydney is still determined to figure out why she can see these ghostly apparitions and what the link is with the person who the eyes originally belonged to.

Directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud don’t exactly inspire confidence with their uneven direction of what should be a creepy supernatural film. They scare up a few twists of terror, but you can count them on one hand which really tells you something about the rest of the film. And that is where the biggest problem with The Eye lies, it just isn’t scary enough as a horror film. In fact, there are many parts when it starts to get unintentionally funny which is never a good sign when you want to create something creepy. The only really successful parts of The Eye are the cinematography and music score. In terms of cinematography, the use of grey accentuates a feeling of darkness and unease for Sydney and her assaulting visions. At least some spooky atmosphere can be gleaned through this, though it is few and far between at best. And the music from Marco Beltrami creates an ominous mood to the film, actually becoming something of a saving grace from what is a tired and turgid exercise of a film. The Eye is just a weak film from beginning to end and thoroughly a genuine waste for everyone involved.

In terms of acting and screenplay, The Eye also stumbles quite a bit. Jessica Alba does an adequate job as the terrified woman beset by horrific visions, but we never feel emotionally involved with her at all. Alba manages to get across a sense of fear, yet this isn’t enough and she comes off as very wooden. I think the part may have worked in the hands of a better actress who could actually get a feeling of sympathy across in the character. Alessandro Nivola similarly struggles with his part, which is not actually his fault. He can’t quite do much as he is saddled with such a dull part that is far from memorable. And then we have Parker Posey, who is sadly not allowed to show off her kooky sensibilities that she is known for. Even if a movie is bad, usually the acting in some capacity is good. Sadly, The Eye isn’t one of them.

The Eye is just sadly a monstrosity and never comes together well enough. Save for a few good visuals and some jolts of horror, it never arrests you or even interests in the end. A sadly wasted and boring experience.