Red Eye - movie review

Matinees are the most decadent form of movie-viewing. Weekday matinees are particlarly so. Matinees that are solid viewing experiences are a treat. Red Eye fulfilled the bill this Friday afternoon. It's a tight, compact thriller that keeps its attention firmly on the task at hand and expends with any filler. That makes the movie short (89 minutes!) but still satisfying. I guess that truly does qualify it as an "afternoon delight".

Red Eye is the story of Lisa (Rachel McAdams), an accomplished concierge-of-sorts, who is taking the last night flight to Miami. There is a dangerous bump in the road when her seat partner, Jack (Cillian Murphy) turns out to have villianous intentions and coerces her (by threatening her father) into helping him achieve his deadly ends. But Lisa is not going to take this situation lightly! And so the simple story begins and sets in motion a series of constrained and tense exercises in control. These moments develop into a more generic cat-and-mouse game later in the film but still maintain their punch.

This "punchiness" is due to Wes Craven's direction. The acclaimed master of suspense and the father of the modern horror film presents his talent for sparse action here. By removing all the gory details, he crafts a realistic drama of threat and fear. The action is expertly carried off by McAdams and Murphy - an intense combination of rising star power. It's easy to get carried away in the incredible eyes of these two beautiful people and Craven uses many close-ups to put you in the face of their emotions. To be shot so intimately puts pressure the actors to be genuinely in the moment - there are no cheap cut-aways to side step reactions. The pair do not disappoint. At one point, McAdams quivers her lips so convincingly it's unsettling. And Murphy's subtle shifts between suave and sinister are captivating.

Red Eye breaks no new ground in the thriller genre. However, its execution is sincere and grounded in the elements of actual (rather than fantastic) fears. This material may have felt like a waste in the hands of other actors but Craven is well-served by his team and they ensure you'll keep your eyes open for this flight.