Trick of the Eye (1994) (TV)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Ed Kaplan

Writers (WGA):

Jane Stanton Hitchcock (novel)
John Gay (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

23 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Mural | Widow | Mother Daughter Relationship | Girl | Painter

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Ellen Burstyn	...	Frances Griffin
Meg Tilly	...	Faith Crowell
Paxton Whitehead	...	Deane
Alastair Duncan	...	Simon
Romy Rosemont	...	Cathy Newman
Barnard Hughes	...	Harry Pitt
Vicki Walker

Also Known As:

Primal Secrets (UK)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Norway:15

Company:

Getting Out Productions

not a bad b-class film

A struggling young artist is caught up in a heavenly opportunity when she's asked to paint the grand ballroom of an upper class Long Islander. The older woman, Mrs. Griffin, seems to have a strange fascination with the painter, and the "vision" created on the ballroom walls, which leads Faith to the mysterious death of the woman's daughter, Cassandra. As she unfolds truth from deception, she lies on the brink of a horrifying discovery...

There are obvious flaws in the structure of this film, which doesn't explain away all the events in the characters' lives, but overall as a thriller it works. The aura of the house and the strange Mrs. Griffin give the piece an eerie feeling, even as we fear Faith is treading on the threshold of doom. The performances are fair and although there's a lack of dramatic action until the last few minutes of film, we really get a sense of who the characters are and even some of their motivations. The final scene is jarring enough to satisfy any mystery fan, even if Burstyn's acting seems a little over the top.