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Horror maestro Wes Craven is no stranger to building sweaty-palmed tension and with "Red Eye" he makes an effective return to the thriller genre. Thankfully Craven has stepped back from his self-referential ways and plays the whole movie straight. It's a very lean film in many respects; ... Read review
Fear takes a flight... After attending the funeral of her grandmother in Dallas Lisa ... more
Reisert (McAdams) must take the dreaded red eye flight back to Miami to make it to work the next day. Lisa soon meets Jackson Ripner (Murphy) and there is an instant...
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Red Eyeis the latest movie from Wes Craven, whose most recent successes, theScreamtrilogy, ... more
give some flavour of what to expect here.The action once again centres on a strong, young woman, this time called Lisa and played by Rachel McAdams (recently seen inWedding Crashers), who spends all her time managing a busy hotel. On a flight back from a funeral, she finds herself sat next to a wealthy businessman, played by Cillian Murphy (whose performance remains one of the many highlights ofBatman Begins. He has an agenda however, that involves using Lisa to clear the way for a contract killing at her hotel. With her father at home under constant watch, and sat next to a man threatening to kill him, the stage is set for a healthy little thriller.And thats just whatRed Eyeis. While some distance away from Cravens best work, it has some big pluses in its favour. Firstly, its a very swift ride that doesnt outstay its welcome, speeding through plot developments that others in the genre would sit and ponder on for some time. Its also got the charm of Rachel McAdams in the lead role, who pitches well against the sneer and creepiness of Cillian Murphy. And finally, it delivers good old fashioned Friday night fun, without having pretensions to do anything else.So while its hardly a defining thriller in any way, nor is it without one or two unintentional giggles,Red Eyeworks surprisingly well. In the hands of a lesser director, its got all the ingredients for straight-to-video hell, but with Craven at the helm and his two leads performing well, its a movie that happily punches above its weight.--Simon Brew
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Red Eyeis the latest movie from Wes Craven, whose most recent successes, theScreamtrilogy, ... more
give some flavour of what to expect here.The action once again centres on a strong, young woman, this time called Lisa and played by Rachel McAdams (recently seen inWedding Crashers), who spends all her time managing a busy hotel. On a flight back from a funeral, she finds herself sat next to a wealthy businessman, played by Cillian Murphy (whose performance remains one of the many highlights ofBatman Begins. He has an agenda however, that involves using Lisa to clear the way for a contract killing at her hotel. With her father at home under constant watch, and sat next to a man threatening to kill him, the stage is set for a healthy little thriller.And thats just whatRed Eyeis. While some distance away from Cravens best work, it has some big pluses in its favour. Firstly, its a very swift ride that doesnt outstay its welcome, speeding through plot developments that others in the genre would sit and ponder on for some time. Its also got the charm of Rachel McAdams in the lead role, who pitches well against the sneer and creepiness of Cillian Murphy. And finally, it delivers good old fashioned Friday night fun, without having pretensions to do anything else.So while its hardly a defining thriller in any way, nor is it without one or two unintentional giggles,Red Eyeworks surprisingly well. In the hands of a lesser director, its got all the ingredients for straight-to-video hell, but with Craven at the helm and his two leads performing well, its a movie that happily punches above its weight.--Simon Brew
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: Competently shot, acted adn scripted Disadvantages: A couple of minor effects niggles and too much volume on the soundtrack, but nothing major
Lisa is having a bad day. On the way home from her grandmother's funeral, her flight is seriously delayed. But things seem to be looking up as she continually bumps into a charming man at the airport terminal. Except Jackson is more than he seems; and under the veneer of charm and respectability lurks a dangerous man. As it turns out, his meeting with Lisa has been carefully engineered and she is soon embroiled in an assassination plot and her father's ... ...Wes Craven is no stranger to building sweaty-palmed tension and with "Red Eye" he makes an effective return to the thriller genre. Thankfully Craven has stepped back from his self-referential ways and plays the whole movie straight. It's a very lean film in many respects; keeping the number of main characters and locations to a minimum and shying away from effects money shots in favour of slowly building tension and the power of suggestion. ... more
Lisa is having a bad day. On the way home from her grandmother's funeral, her flight is seriously delayed. But things seem to be looking up as she continually bumps into a charming man at the airport terminal. Except Jackson is more than he seems; and under the veneer of charm and respectability lurks a dangerous man. As it turns out, his meeting with Lisa has been carefully engineered and she is soon embroiled in an assassination plot and her father's life hangs in the balance.
Horror maestro Wes Craven is no stranger to building sweaty-palmed tension and with "Red Eye" he makes an effective return to the thriller genre. Thankfully Craven has stepped back from his self-referential ways and plays the whole movie straight. It's a very lean film in many respects; keeping the number of main characters and locations to a minimum and shying away from effects money shots in favour of slowly building tension and the power of suggestion. Exposition is brief and we learn the motivations of the characters at the same time and rate they learn them from each other. You know something's going to happen on the plane because Craven introduces even minor characters in the time-honoured manner of disaster movie players, adding texture to the story and creating a sense of community between the actors and audience. We are made to feel like passengers on the plane too. He maintains the tension by using lots of close-ups and mid-shots of the two main protagonists, creating a claustrophobic world inhabited only by the two of them. Setting it on a night flight taps into our instinctive fear of the dark and using his trademark creeping cameras creates suspense and sudden moments of brutal violence helps to maintain it because it's so unpredictable. However, this is counter-pointed by Craven's dark sense of humour that relieves tension whenever things are getting too serious. Just look at the heroine's choice of weapon in one scene and you'll see what I mean. He can't quite get away from his horror background, using a blood-red sunrise that is oh-so-meaningful and rather clichéd, but overall he builds tension well, makes us care for his heroine and draws us into a dark web of intrigue. He also shows he can shoot action well. Though I hesitate to say it, I think he's back on form.
Pulp TV writer Carl Ellsworth shows he can make it on the big screen with this simple but effective script. It has a foot in both the thriller and woman in peril genres, linking Lisa's situation to a wider political context. The initial set-up is quite skimpy, but fun because it subverts the romantic comedy model, introducing the two leads as if by chance and suggesting the sexual chemistry between them will lead to something more. The switch to thriller mode is abrupt and surprising for the characters and the audience, but works because it jolts us out of our complacency and makes us reassess what we think we know about the characters. His character development is brief but effective and lets us get to know Lisa before she steps on the plane, meaning that we immediately identify with her. It also encourages us to like Jackson, before it is revealed that he is a psychopath. Ellsworth clearly has a sense of humour to match Craven's introducing minor characters whose sole purpose is to help events conspire against Jackson. But the unconscious yet gleeful manner in which they do so is amusing to say the least. The dialogue throughout is snappy and bitingly cold on occasion, with Lisa and Jackson partaking in a war of words as well as physical violence. The political aspect of the thriller is kept on the back burner, though Ellsworth seems to be endorsing the Republican "might is right" attitude to foreign policy in his choice of intended assassination target. But most importantly, the script never gets ideas above its station and never attempts to be anything more than throwaway entertainment. It might engage you at the time, but it won't stay with you for more than few hours after you've watched it.
Rachel McAdams appeared from nowhere last year in "Mean Girls" and has since carved out a nice little niche for herself, without being pigeonholed. As Lisa Reisert, she transforms from self-assured, together career girl to trembling victim, to stand-up heroine with aplomb. She is always warm with a touch of vulnerability so the audience feels for her and her performance, though wide-ranging, never feels forced. One can only hope this is another stepping stone to bigger and better things.
Irish actor Cillian Murphy impresses as Jackson, convincing as both charmer and dangerous psychopath. Sure the menacing villainy isn't very subtle, thanks to the writing, but Murphy handles it well, without resorting to pantomime exaggeration. And boy do those piercing blue eyes come in handy, whether appealing to the ladies or threatening to do something nasty. I'd be interested to see what he does next.
Brian Cox turns up as Lisa's dad, a bored retiree who seems to amuse himself by worrying about his daughter and growing a scraggly beard. He's on cameo role auto-pilot, phoning in one of his patented bluff but pointless performances. I like him as an actor but he's only worth watching if he's got something to do. Jayma Mays fares better as Lisa's dappy colleague Cynthia, who is the unwitting scapegoat for every misfortune that befalls the hotel where she works. She plays it with a doe-eyed vulnerability that means you can't help but feel for her.
The score by horror composer Marco Beltrami is a full-blooded orchestral affair that revels in menacing metallic drums to up the threatening ante. It's not exactly original and can't help but sound like a loud sub-Bond suite, never knowingly understated. But it does the job - underlining the woman in peril story on screen.
The special effects in the film are basic to say the least, but generally serviceable, though the one use of CGI is glaringly obvious in its simplicity. The stunts on the whole are far more impressive, with a couple of really nasty fights and falls and some nifty but terrifying stunt driving.
"Red Eye" is a compact addition to the thriller genre that is well-acted, well-scripted and competently shot. I dare say it's not going to set the world on fire in the same way as Craven's "Scream" did, leaving a trail of knock-offs and parodies in its wake, but it's a very watchable film that will keep you involved throughout the running time.
Advantages: a great thriller,plenty of tension,good characters Disadvantages: not for anybody expecting lots of blood and gore.
Red Eye is directed by none other than the horror expert himself, 'Wes Craven'. With top films such as 'Scream', 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'A Nightmare On Elm Street', under his belt, Wes is no doubt one of the top men within the horror film industry. However, he is also quite the star when it comes to creating good, intense, thrillers, and red Eye is no exception. *** The Plot ***
After attending the funeral of her recently departed grandmother, ... ...to her job as a hotel manager. However, on what should be a regular flight back to Miami, she encounters a mysterious stranger named Jack Ripner. Jack comes across as a strange, kind of arrogant, yet strangely sweet at the same time, guy. Undoubtedly handsome, Lisa cannot resist his charms when he asks her to have a drink with him before the flight. Letting her guard down she chats freely to Jack and loses him as she goes to board the flight. Upon ...
AimeeLouise18 27.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye DVD
Advantages: Fun and Thrilling. Disadvantages: As Most Films - Predictable.
...an annoying young, pretty one. Red Eye appealed to me because of these two actors and also because it is directed by Wes craven who I usually like so I was looking forward to having the DVD to review for you all.
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So What is the Film About?
(Reading from the back of the box)
Lisa Reisert hates to fly, but the terror that awaits her on the night flight to Miami has nothing to do with a fear of flying.
Moments after takeoff, Lisa's seatmate, ... ...list is the making of red eye which I loved watching as I always hope there is a making of on every DVD. It gives you interviews with the actors and creators and why the film was made. This was very enjoyable because of the insight into how the script worked and why everybody was attracted to doing the film. It lasts around eleven minutes so you get quite a lot to watch.
Wes Craven a new type of thriller is interesting because it shows why he likes ...
katygriff 29.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye DVD
Advantages: Quick, exciting thriller Disadvantages: Tame
...just kind of assumed that Red Eye would be a horror movie too. It is, in fact, a thriller. It's a simple one too - think Phone Booth meets Panic Room and you're a third of the way there. You're only a third though because those two films are far superior to this.
More Bruckheimer than Craven, the film opens as it means to go on. A thundering soundtrack accompanies underhand dealings in a fish market (I kid you not) where big fish are being used ... ...than let them live.
Red Eye is a story in three acts - a vaguely concealed attempt to put together a Hitchcock thriller. Act one is "introduction". This is the settling down for the audience where we watch Lisa walk unsuspectingly into a trap. Act two is "peril". This is where Lisa realises her plight and starts to get herself into a sticky mess. Act three is "action". This is where….well, you'll have to watch the film for yourself to fill in the ...
LostWitness 16.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye DVD
Advantages: Tense, tightly paced, good leads, entertaining Disadvantages: DVD extras are a bit disappointing
...but then the script for Red Eye came across his desk and pulled him back behind the camera.
The film is in the classic Hitchcock mould and boasts a simple premise with a compact story that mainly revolves around a handful of cast members and locations.
Lisa (Rachel McAdams) is a hotel manageress taking the last flight home to Miami. The flight is delayed and in the queue she meets a handsome man named Jack Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who she ends ... ...on the ground alive.
Red Eye is one of those films that does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a neat thriller that is very fast paced and goes from A to B in no time at all. As the final credits roll you realize that only 79-minutes have passes. Personally I like films that manage to satisfy in the shortest amount of time possible. This is one film that cuts out all the fat and keeps itself mean and lean.
The chemistry between McAdams and ...
utero 07.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye DVD
Advantages: Great suspenseful thriller Disadvantages: None really
Red Eye comes from the mind of Horror film supremo Wes Craven, who has brought us such terrors as A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The only thing I really knew about this film before watching was that it was set aboard a 'red-eye' flight (V late night flight) where a passenger is targeted for some reason by a fellow passenger.
I thought it was a typical Wes Craven offering, with blood and gore all over the place. As it turns out though, this is more ... ...THE FILM:
Lisa Reisart (Rachel McAdams) works for a high profile hotel in Miami, which often caters to the rich and powerful. When her Grandmother dies, she attends the funeral out of town then hops on the red-eye bak to Miami.
In the airport she encounters helpful stranger Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who helps defuse a tense situation with another passenger. They go their seperate ways, but keeo bumping into each other around the airport ...
karenes 25.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye DVD
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Advantages: Fast moving film. Disadvantages: None.
steadily built suspense. I was on the edge of my seat during most of the movie. It's been a while since I heard an audience cheer and clap, and get excited in a theater.
If your looking for thrills, action and a GOOD plot, REDEYE delivers it. So get the dvd today. ...
dee2206 13.01.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Red Eye (DVD)
Advantages: A brilliant, taut thriller Disadvantages: None that I can think of
The first thing that made me take notice of this film was that Rachel McAdams was in it. This was released in 2005 so pretty soon after her two monster hits Mean Girls & one of my favourite films The Notebook in which she was fantastic in it & of course in Mean Girls. She's also great in this & I really can't praise her enough, I think she's a fantastic actress & I hope she does a lot more great movies in the future as she's really someone to look out for. Instead of going down the route of alcohol & drugs like her Mean Girls co-star Lindsay Lohan did, Rachel McAdams seems to really have her eye on the prize & want to concentrate on her career & doing this she has picked some fantastic roles.
Another thing that attracted me to this film was of course the director, Wes Craven. The scream trilogy are three of my favourite films & he ...
Great_reviewer07 18.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye (DVD)
Advantages: Gripping, Intellegent, Well Acted and Directed, Subtle Disadvantages: Some Unintentional Giggles
Lisa has just come back from her Grandma's funeral and is having a pretty bad day - the flights are delayed, her father is constantly worried about her and she is stuck reading a Doctor Phil book. However when she meets Jackson Rippner her day perks up abit - he is charming and handsome and helps her pass the time. However, when they board the plane they part ways, until she sees that they are sitting together that is. At first he is good humoured and she begins to enjoy his company, but then he turns - he has her father hostage and will kill him unless she uses her managerial powers to switch the presidents room at the hotel she works at. How can she choose between her father and the president? And will she be able to escape this psychopath alive?
RedEye is a nifty little thriller that's almost Hitchcockian in execution, unbearably ...
JayHall1991 05.09.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Red Eye (DVD)
Mystery - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Derek Jacobi, Joanna Lumley, Jack Davenport, Zoe Wanamaker, Simon Callow, Adam Garcia, John Hannah
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
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