Review of Red Eye (2005) by Andrew G — 12 Aug 2010

?DO DADDY A FAVOUR, AND STOP GAMBLING WITH HIS LIFE!!? Jackson Rippner ? Cillian Murphy.

The modern Thriller genre is really dull and repetitive; they always give you a ridiculously predictable plot, uninteresting characters, a score that seems to be trying to scare you more than the actual events you see on screen, and a surprising lack of tension. Wes Craven?s Red Eye is that rare Thriller that really works. Having entered our dreams with Freddy Krueger, scared most of the public with the Hills Have Eyes, and put an end to the slasher genre with Scream, Red Eye is his modern masterpiece. Looking at the trailers, it looked like a really mediocre thriller with nothing special about it other than it having a director who has proven how successful he can be at scaring his audience, so it was a great surprise to see a thriller that I not only found entertaining, but one that I really loved.

After her grandmother?s funeral in Dallas, Lisa Reisert, who is the manager of the Lux Atlantic Hotel, is waiting for a flight in Miami, anxious because she has a slight phobia of flying. Due to poor weather and constant flight delays, she meets a man named Jackson Rippner, also on the same flight. They become friends quick, and Lisa soon realizes she is sitting with him on the plane. However, on the plane, Jack reveals that he intended to sit with her. He intends to have Lisa change the room of a Politician staying at the Lux Atlantic, so that he can be killed by terrorists. Should she refuse, her father will be killed by a hit man. The film?s premise is a great opportunity to tell a thrilling story. It?s a modern fear about being hijacked on a plane as well as a genuine fear as to what terrorists on a plane can do, with films like Air Force One taking their own approach on it. In this film, the terrorism isn?t about a bomb or destroying a large area to scare the public; it?s a small organisation trying to have politics their way. There?s so much tension, because you find yourself wondering what you would do in Lisa?s position. The first scenes where we establish the characters perfectly show the acts that the 2 put on in public; it?s only when they got on the plane that they act like they personally would. The film works well because of the tension like I?ve said, but the reason behind that tension is the character interactions. They?re superbly acted, and it?s brilliant to see how the 2 will play off of each other, whilst you anticipate whether or not the call will get made. This is of course, while the film lasts. The film is only 1 hour and 22 minutes; less than an hour and half. Because of this, it doesn?t last long and whizzes by. I wouldn?t consider it a major complaint, if the third act didn?t throw away what made the first 2 acts really strong. The tension goes, and instead we get a standard action thriller in a desperate race between Lisa and Rippner. Rippner also didn?t have the quiet subtlety and 2 sides to his persona that made him such a threatening villain in the first place. While the film still remains entertaining, it is pretty sad to see it degenerate to that level, especially when they?ve established just what a good thriller can be in the modern day.

Rachel McAdams plays Lisa Reisert. I got scared at first that they?d hired some airhead that looks great but can?t act worth a darn; this was brought to my attention as a possibility when they strip her down to her bra not too long into the film. Thankfully, McAdams shows that she?s not just a pretty face in the industry. When she comes to the realisation that what Rippner wants from her isn?t just a well orchestrated joke, we see the genuine fear in her face. McAdams manages to pull of someone who is completely terrified by a mixture of her phobia of flying and a terrorist threatening to kill her dad well, yet she doesn?t go over the top. This is believable as a real reaction from a real person, and I?m glad that they got McAdams to play the role, instead of hiring a ditsy film star to show off her body, not her acting capabilities. Cillian Murphy plays the villain, Rippner. In the beginning of the film, he has to play the role as really friendly and an open person. Murphy does that role well, but he?s best when he?s on the plane, playing the role really threatening, yet subtle. He?s really intimidating, yet he doesn?t need to use a scary voice to make you believe him; that is of course until the third act, where he turns into a standard killer. There are a couple of small roles in the film that get competently acted. The first is Brian Cox as Lisa?s dad. While there was no reason to hire a talented actor to play such a small part, Cox is really good. He doesn?t do anything that distracts your attention away from Lisa, yet he leaves enough of an impression so you know he?s there. There?s also Jayma Mays as Cynthia, the hotel receptionist that works for Lisa. Jayma is good at delivering the concern in the business world, yet we see how she in turn reacts to the events going on with Lisa. Though Cynthia doesn?t go through as much of a painful experience, there?s a strong level of worry with the character, which Jayma is really good at delivering that aspect to the film.

In a world full of predictable and dull thrillers, Red Eye is that rare one that actually works. The characters are interesting, and it really delivers on the thrills and tension for the majority of the film; but even when those aspects begin to fall, it remains a highly entertaining film in the thriller genre.

Andrew?s rating: 8.5 out of 10.