United States, 2005Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox
Director: Wes Craven
My Rating: *** / ****
Wes Craven was one of that director who has always - obvious or subtle - stay in the genre he chooses, which is inducing or involving the act of thrilling, or simply known as 'thriller'. By the fact, one could always expect tensions if (s)he went to the teather knowing that (s)he would watch a film that directed by Wes Craven. Red Eye was no exception. With the classic main ingredient to make a thriller, which is damsel-in-distress, Red Eye was quite enjoyable as a thriller. Even i think, it was probably among the best thriller ever came out of Hollywood's kitchen without involving the act of re-making the other's idea over the years. Well, subjectivity holds. But for now, that's what i believe.
The title Red Eye here means literally. Rachel McAdams plays as Lisa Reinert our heroine, our damsel-in-distress who happens to had to take a last flight back to Miami from the relative's funeral she had to attend, due to the bad weather (thus, red eye flight). What she doesn't know, what we, as audience, expected from the beginning that there was this certain fellow with the most unlikely name, Jonathan Rippkin (Cillian Murphy) who had every intention to gives her horror. Hence, to turns her peaceful life into havoc, best known as damsel-in-distress situation. For what or why does Jonathan chooses to threaten her life, i would leave the issue open for you to enjoy yourselves.
Red Eye was clearly divided into three parts. The first part, was obvious, a preambule where the introductions made and the curtains open. I found that the movie tend to drag itself up to a point that i almost convinced that i'm watching one of those romantic-comedy movie. Here, Lisa first met up with Jonathan and unknowingly offered herself into his charming trap. Even i, as a man, could see the inevitable relationships between the two. Now, this is a testimony to how good the casts (Ms. McAdams and Mr. Murphy) had been. And this is really the ultimate strength of this movie.
The second part, the longest, and of course, the best part, was begin when the plane that took off our heroine and our villain shook of due to the turbulence caused by the weather. As a continuation of the first part, the second part obviously reveals the core of the apple which skin has been peeled off. What i liked most about this part was that it really a show-offs from our two main casts since the terror were not attributed to a gun, or any other weapon, but by words. And even though that Mr.Murphy was rather far off from the definition of Mr. International of Mystery, he was everything you'd get from a chilling personality with cold eyes that indicates he was up to no good. The last part, was begin the moment our plane hit the runway lane home. Here, the conclusion began to wrap up itself and ended in a physical showdown between our two casts, those standard-ized end to a thriller-flick as teached on Thriller 101 in - i dont know - perhaps every University with Film-Making as one of its major. Lisa with her agility, and enough wise to made a crucial decision, and Jonathan with strength but unfortunately (or fortunately, depend on which side you took) blinded by his rage.
The movie, or the thriller, works well because of the two main casts. In fact, i was very disappointed with the other casts whose fortunately doesn't had that much spotlight as of our two main casts. Rachel McAdams, well, mark my words, she's going to be a great actress, time permits. She was a nasty girl, impersonates Rob Schneider's soul in Hot Chick (i was captivated by her dimples at the time), she was the meanest baddass girl in the entire school in Mean Girls, she was a beauty in a serious romance drama, the Notebook, she was a girl who made Owen Wilson's went crazy in a comedy romance, Wedding Crashers, and now this, a damsel-in-distress in a Wes Craven's flick. Her short CV has already expand her horizon of capabilities since, in those movies, she always shines even sometimes, out-shone the main cast (Lindsay Lohan, for example, gosh.. how i hated this girl), and none of her role at those movies were similar to one another. Cillian Murphy, however, even those that he's a perfect cast for the maniacal role of Jonathan Rippkin, his role has been (almost) typical. Well, much like Crispin Glover, who apparently would never had a role that differs than ones he has been doing. It can't be helped though, since his facial expression was unique and perfectly fit for one of those role as someone who emits terror, or suffers from it.