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RED EYE
DVD Review
Does Craven's venture outside horror take flight?
by Carlos R Savournin
Lisa Reisert is on a delayed flight from Dallas to Miami, and in the midst of a hectic airport mishap, she meets Jackson Ripner; a friendly man who just so happens to be on the same flight. Soon after takeoff, Jackson reveals his intentions and Lisa finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that will cause her father’s death if she does not cooperate. Directed by Wes Craven of Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream fame, the film is intense from beginning to end.
Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) plays the desperate Lisa who finds herself trapped in a Boeing 737, trying to save her father in Miami while evading her captor’s every move. Cillian Murphy makes his second mark as an evil villain directly after Batman Begins and he does so with perfection. The moment both actors appear on screen together, the chemistry takes over and leads us on a ride of conflicting emotions; we like him, we like her, we like them…oh, wait. We hate him now. But the real star of this film is neither of the main actors, nor of the large plane (which we learn isn’t resourceful in such a situation). The most impressive aspect of this film is its director.
When we see “Directed by Wes Craven” tagged to the opening credits of any film, we know to expect blood, screams and disturbing images that stick with us for a long time (can anyone forget Tina being dragged across the ceiling by an invisible Freddy Krueger?). But within the first 20 minutes of Red Eye, it’s clear that Mr. Craven has grown as a director and storyteller by taking a newcomer’s screenplay (Carl Ellsworth) and turning into one of the most beautifully shot films of 2005. The colors and lighting Craven uses transports us into the uncomfortable, claustrophobic cabin of the plane right along side our actors. And once the plane lands, Craven manages to keep us on the edge of our seats while Lisa makes a final attempt at saving her father’s life. Wes Craven has moved from scaring us with nightmarish monsters and masked killers to finally pushing our buttons with a realistic premise that will have people cringing in their seats. To sum it up, Craven has created a Hithcockian masterpiece where fear definitely does take flight.
With superior being a bright full moon, this movie rates:
© Savournin, 2006
