(2008) * *1/2
Directed by D.J. Caruso
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton
DreamWorks//Rated PG-13//Thriller, Action//118 min
"Eagle Eye" assembles bits from a host of better films to form a watchable collage. Though little is original, the film borrows well from classics such as "The Matrix," "North By Northwest," "Terminator," and "Enemy of The State." The shaky story, conceived by executive producer Steven Spielberg, cried out for expert handling but was instead fumbled by a committee of screenwriters who fail to sustain the nail-biting suspense.
Twenty minutes in, "Eagle Eye" dissipates the tension by revealing that an all-powerful computer is pulling our hero's strings. This uber-technology, combined with a licence to peer into our personal lives thanks to the Patriot Act, is meant to be a cautionary tale. But, the story so stretches credulity that it works only as an adrenaline-pumping adventure.
Shia LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a lazy version of his overachieving, identical twin brother, Ethan. A Stanford drop out and low level con man, Jerry is working at a copy shop when Ethan is killed in an accident. Jerry's life is soon turned upside down by an all-business female voice on his cellphone, instructing him to commit incomprehensible deeds -- or die. Jerry is joined by Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), a single mother receiving phone calls from the same voice threatening to kill Rachel's young son unless she does as she is told.
It's amusing to watch two ordinary young people embark on a series of seeming deadly missions and survive based upon an all-seeing computer's split second-timing that helps them avoid explosions and other hazards. A half dozen fresh ideas include the manipulation of power lines to kill those who disobey, or the computer's ability to use ripples made in a cup of liquid to read an unseen, unheard speaker's words.
To its credit, "Eagle Eye" sometimes succeeds as a disconcerting reminder that our personalities can be discerned through our credit card purchases and on-line activity. Though we hope the human factor is more complex than these behaviors predict, knowing our private information is so readily obtainable, is unsettling. I'm thinking about throwing a monkey wrench into the system by purchasing goat feed, fish tank rubble, and beard dye.
APPALOOSA
(2008) CR: * * *
Directed by Ed Harris
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall, Lance Henriksen, James Gammon, Ariandra Gil
Warner//Rated R//Western//114 min
After a lawless rancher (Irons) kills Appaloosa's sheriff and deputies, a pair of lawmen-for-hire agree to restore order to the small, New Mexican town. Virgil (Harris) and his longtime partner, Everett (Viggo Mortensen), take total control after demanding the town leader (Spall) sign a legal contract. Virgil is sheriff while Everett serves as his deputy, though Everett's smarts indicate the arrangement suits his purpose. Hard-nosed Virgil is initially perturbed by the arrival of Allison French (Renee Zellweger), a widow given to asking penetrating questions. Eventually Virgil develops feelings for Allison who returns them but she is also attracted to Everett. The story goes where its characters take it, drawing a steady bead on their psyches.
BLINDNESS
(2008) CR: * *
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover
Miramax//Rated R//Thriller//120 min
A city is struck by a plague that leaves its sufferers blind and prompts officials to quarantine the afflicted in an ill-equipped asylum. A woman still able to see (Moore) pretends she has the disease in order to stay with her stricken husband (Ruffalo). Once locked inside, the quarantined are left to fend for themselves. Cruelty, extortion, rape and murder reign unchecked as the woman struggles to keep her sight a secret from the others. Danny Glover appears as an eye-patch wearing narrator whose philosophical musings are meant to add perspective to the events. Director Fernando Meirelles bathes the filmstock in white to mimic the "white blindness" descending upon his characters -- making this unpleasant effort even more painful to see.
BEVERLY HILLS
CHIHUAHUA
(2008) PR: * *
Directed by Raja Gosnell
Voices of Drew Barrymore, George Lopez, Andy Garcia
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Piper Perabo
Walt Disney//Rated PG//Family//91 min
Chloe's (Barrymore) life as a pampered, overdressed, 90210 Chihuahua, comes to a screeching halt when she becomes lost and needs the help of working class dogs to get back home. Although the trailer is awash in stereotypes and frenetic action, scant early reviews of this kid's movie are mainly positive thanks to its voice talents. These include Lopez as Papi, Chloe's blue-collar canine admirer, and Delgado, a sad Alsatian. Curtis does a lively turn as Chloe's wealthy mistress, with Perabo marking time as an irresponsible dogsitter. Olé!