Red Eye (Review)

Universal Remote

Wow, this movie is only 85 minutes long. And when you walk out of the theater, the first thing you notice is that the movie was only 85 minutes long. I think that is a good thing. This is a short, taut thriller. I won't say it is fast-paced. One, I already used taut and I think fast-paced would make me sound too much like Jeffrey Lyons. Two, the movie basically consists of two static sets with a short chase scene in the middle. So it isn't so fast-paced. But it is exciting.

The plot is simple. Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) is a contract killer. He needs the help of hotel manager, Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams), so his men can kill the deputy head of homeland security. So Jack dispatches an assassin to tail Lisa's dad (Brian Cox), works his way next to her on a flight, and tells her if she doesn't help, dad is dead. That's it. The rest of the movie is cat and mouse as an ordinary person tries to stay one step ahead of an assassin.

But it is amazing what clever writing and good acting can do. Rachel McAdams is truly excellent. She has a way of drawing attention on the screen without dominating it or seemingly trying to hard. And she has a great non-placeable voice that is not so much sexy or sultry, but has a very attractive everywoman melody to it. Cillian Murphy is great. He needs to be careful about playing villians. After this and Batman Begins, he has established himself as an extremely good villian. He could make a career being a bad guy, but has much more of a career ahead of him.

The movie relies on the interaction between these very different people. One a self-confident killer. The other a woman simply looking to get along in life. It is a great dynamic and well-acted, with each person over and underestimating the other, based on how they each present themselves. If you can't catch it in the theaters, check it out on DVD. And if you don't like it, well ... it was only 85 minutes long.

(For Survivor fans, Colby, should-be winner of Survivor: Australia (the only one I ever watched, I swear), makes an appearance as a secret-service agent. He should have stuck to Gilette ads. Actually, that's not true. He's harmless.)