EYE FOR AN EYE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
EYE FOR AN EYE is a thriller about vigilantism. Depending on your point of view, it is either a disturbing real drama about a mother trying to avenge her daughter's killer or is a poorly acted, manipulative, and ridiculous soap opera. Although I am firmly in the latter camp, I should point out my wife was very upset by the movie but thought it was excellent.
As the story begins, Karen McCann (Sally Field) is at a standstill in heavy traffic. She is talking on her cell phone to her 17 year old daughter Julie who is at home working on the fourth birthday party for her sister Megan (Alexandra Kyle). While Karen listens, Julie is brutally raped and murdered. Although the audience is forced to see it all, Karen can only listen.
Soon Karen and her husband Mack (Ed Harris) are speaking with Sergeant DeNello (Joe Mantegna) who is the investigator in charge of the case. Although he gives the appearance of being an incompetent cop, he quickly finds the killer, Robert Doob (Keifer Sutherland). The new prosecutor assures the McCanns that the killer's conviction is certain. In the great tradition of recent American justice, the killer is set free because the evidence, although conclusive, is not large enough to divide in two so the defense have part.
In a scene straight out of the recent movie THE CROSSING GUARD, Karen and Mack joint a support group for relatives whose children have been killed. Soon Karen hooks up with a vigilante group and is off to kill Doob before he kills again. Of course, Doob in turn threatens the whole family, especially little Megan. Most of the movie then is a cat and mouse game where Karen is stalking Doob. Will she kill him or won't she? That is what the movie is purportedly all about. Actually, it rarely rising about the level of cheap thrills, and thanks to a ridiculous and poorly written script (Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa), its believability quotient is quite low. Although the rape and murder part is realistic, the vigilante portion, which occupies most of the movie, feels highly contrived.
Director John Schlesinger takes four brilliant and accomplished actors and, somehow, manages to get little out of them. I can think of many movies each one of them has made where they were great. Take for example, Sally Field's somewhat similar role in NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER. There her emotion was intense and believable. She is too reserved and just not convincing in EYE FOR AN EYE. Ed Harris is not given much of a part and is unable to take what lines he is given and do much with them.
Poor Joe Mantegna is stuck as a cop in a show where the police are cartoon characters. He gets to explain his interrogation secrets with such lines as "Poor man's truth serum - caffeine and sugar". He beats up suspects and tells them to "get out of my city". Although the writers reserve the worst blather for the cops, the rest of the script is not much better. When Karen feels Sergeant DeNello is not trying hard enough to get Doob, she ridicules him with, "why don't you offer him a candy bar and maybe he will confess?" The script is simplistic and predictable. I found the ending, which it is telegraphed way in advance to the audience, to be too abrupt.
In the only almost decent piece of acting, Keifer Sutherland does a passing job as a twenty-six year old delivery man for Catalina Liquors. His performance is one dimensional, but at least he is suitably creepy. To show how mean he is, the writers have him pour hot coffee on a stray dog.
The minor characters are even weaker than the four leads. Beverly D'Angelo plays Karen's friend and coworker. She demonstrates little visible talent which, to be honest, is consistent with many other movies I have seen her in.
There is a single funny scene in the show. Suffice it to say that learning self-defense does have its downsides. There is one other good part, the sets by Stephen Hendrickson provide a strikingly gritty view of a poor section of the city.
EYE FOR AN EYE runs 1:43 but thanks to the slow pacing by editor Peter Honess, it dragged a lot. Certainly, not the fast pace you would expect in a thriller. It is rated R for graphic violence including rape and murder. Very bloody and potentially, extremely disturbing. I would not let teenagers go unless they were quite mature. I would be especially careful of letting teenagers girls go, lest they end up with nightmares for a long time. I can not recommend this show to anyone, and I give it * 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: January 19, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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