Red Eye Review
by [email protected] (dnb AT dca DOT net)August 26th, 2005
RED EYE
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2005 David N. Butterworth
*** (out of ****)
When the divine Bette Davis (as aging Hollywood diva Margo Channing in "All About Eve") uttered the immortal line "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" she could never have known how applicable those words would prove to be in the case of horror maven Wes Craven's latest thriller, "Red Eye." For the turbulence aboard Fresh Air's last flight to Miami is simply the first of many bumps--and jumps--for workaholic hotel manager Lisa Reisert.
As played by Rachel McAdams (the object of Owen Wilson's understandable affections in the forever popular "Wedding Crashers"), Lisa is a spunky professional who's heading to Miami from a family function in Dallas when inclement weather delays her flight home. She's subsequently booked on the "red eye" flight along with fellow passenger Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy from "Batman Begins"), into whom she keeps on bumping in the airport lounge (at the bar he guesses her drink of choice is a sea breeze and one can't help but be reminded of the scene in the afore-mentioned "'Crashers" when Wilson's John Beckwith guesses what the wrapped gift McAdams's Claire Cleary is holding contains).
Jackson is friendly and outgoing and charming and Lisa allows herself to strike up an easy flirtation with him. Once onboard the plane it seems that the two late-night travelers have adjoining seats-- "That's actually my seat," she tells him until, after scrutinizing her boarding pass, he realizes she's not kidding--and it's a coincidence that proves extremely convenient given what is about to unfold.
Without giving too much of the plot away let's just say that Jackson, he of the incandescent blue eyes and serial menace, is not what he seems and soon involves Lisa in a horrifying hostage situation with the threat of the death of a loved one the impetus for her cooperation.
The film is mostly setup, set aboard the flight, and that's to its advantage. There's a genuine feeling of claustrophobia at play; after all, Lisa can't exactly run and hide and the flight attendant's call button is essentially useless to her. Murphy plays Jackson as cool and calculating and very threatening and McAdams is equally strong as Lisa, a young woman forced to think her way out of a ghastly situation by using her smarts. This is perhaps "Red Eye"'s strongest element: its characters, and especially Lisa, do all of the right things--kudos to screenwriters Carl Ellsworth and Don Foos for exploiting this woefully underutilized character trait. Yet somehow Jackson is even smarter, keeping one step ahead of his hapless captive whose luxury hotel just so happens to be the frequent travel destination of the new Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, a recent government hire reviled by many.
Director Craven keeps everything aloft and delivers an engaging, intelligent thriller that doesn't insult its audience (a few logic loopholes notwithstanding; it's a more than welcome departure from his "'Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream" series). The performances, too, are first rate, with McAdams and Murphy well on their way to becoming the next big thing. As in-flight dramas go "Red Eye" has definitely whetted my appetite for the upcoming "Flightplan" (with Jodie Foster searching for her missing daughter amid the overhead bins).
It's as if, at 30,000 feet, no one can hear you scream.
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David N. Butterworth
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
