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"Turbulent Skies
Lie Ahead..." |
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Directed by Wes Craven -
Written by Carl
Ellsworth
Starring Rachel McAdams,
Cillian Murphy, Brian
Cox, Jayma Mays
Distributed by UIP -
2005 - 85m - Rated PG13 |
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Seinfeld might say, "What's the deal with implausibility?"
To which George would say, "I kinda like it!"
To which Elaine would say, "Are you kidding me?"
To which Kramer would say, "My friend, Bob Sakamano, he says that
implausibility causes impotency." |
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Implausibility is a
funny thing. Sometimes you can forgive it and just go along with the
ride. Sometimes you feel like picking out all the holes and jamming
your anger down them until they get even bigger, rendering the film
virtually impotent.
"Red-Eye" is an utterly implausible and enormously silly thriller with
more penetratable holes than a Bangkok whore-house. And I still liked
it.
Why? Why do I sometimes forgive implausibility when I generally thrash
films for it?
I think it comes down to a few key things. The actors need to deliver
credible, committed performances in spite of the lunacy. And the film
better be energetic enough and be in constant forward motion so that
we are not left to mull over the ridiculousness of the previous scene.
This is the preeminent example of a film whose plot points boggle the
logical mind but whose running length flies by in the blink of a
red-eye. It is the type of film that will make you forget that you
have a massive tub of popcorn in your lap. But after you get up to
leave the theatre, you realize that you are left with stale, cold,
rubbery nothingness.
Oh well.. it was good while it lasted.
Fans of Rachel McAdams (Who isn’t?) and Cillian Murphy will enjoy this
film, as it fills its 90-minutes with about 85-minutes of them. They
are the film!
The plot revolves around the two leads as they board a late-night
flight to Miami. After an airport bar flirtation, the two are paired
in seats 18F and 18G and continue their witty cat-and-mouse
conversation. Soon, however, the twist arrives as Murphy's character
virtually holds her hostage with threats against her family. He
requires her to make a phone call, which he promises will retract the
threats. Needless to say... things don't go as smoothly as planned.
Murphy is solid in his role, although it occasionally gets bogged down
with those cartoonish-villain traits that you've seen in a billion
similar films. But, all things considered, he isn't too shabby here.
It is really McAdams who carries the film, virtually brimming with
that contained fear and restrained anger that is so rare in films like
this. Most of the time actors overplay these performances with
blistering histrionics and hysterical emotions. McAdams is a fine
actress who knew to keep it down. Even in a silly film like this, it
is quite clear that she is evolving into one of the next generation's
great actresses.
I think a critic has to be honest with films like this. I know it is
silly. I know it has unexplainable holes. I know it has about as much
depth as wading pool. But sometimes I like the actors, the premise and
the execution enough to lay flat in that wading pool and allow the
chlorine tainted water to drown me in its lunacy. |
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© Written by TC Candler |
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
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