The Eye (2008)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Directors:

David Moreau
Xavier Palud

Writers (WGA):

Sebastian Gutierrez (screenplay)
Jo Jo Yuet-chun Hui (2002 screenplay "Jian gui") ...

Release Date:

1 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

How can you believe your eyes when they're not yours?

Plot:

The remake of the Hong Kong film "Jian Gui", a woman who receives an eye transplant that allows her to see into the supernatural world.

Plot Keywords:

Eye | Remake | Surgery | Violinist | Mexico

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jessica Alba	...	Sydney Wells
Alessandro Nivola	...	Dr. Paul Faulkner
Parker Posey	...	Helen Wells
Rade Serbedzija	...	Simon McCullough
Fernanda Romero	...	Ana Christina Martinez
Rachel Ticotin	...	Rosa Martinez
Obba Babatundé	...	Dr. Haskins
Danny Mora	...	Miguel
Chloe Moretz	...	Alicia (as Chloë Grace Moretz)
Brett A. Haworth	...	Shadowman
Kevin K.	...	Tomi Cheung
Tamlyn Tomita	...	Mrs. Cheung
Esodie Geiger	...	Nurse
Karen Austin	...	Mrs. Hillman
Ryan J. Pezdirc	...	Nurse Room Attendant

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence/terror and disturbing content.

Runtime:

98 min | Turkey:92 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44048) | Singapore:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:U | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-15 | Taiwan:R-12 | Italy:T | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Germany:16 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Lionsgate

Trivia:

To prepare for her role, Jessica Alba took violin lessons for 6 months. She also learned basic Braille.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Sydney and Paul walk over to the Mexican child to ask him about the fire, in the shot of Paul talking to him, you can clearly see the cameraman's shadow cast on the ground to the right.

Quotes:

Alicia Millstone: I know you're scared. Don't be. 'Cause the world really is beautiful.

Movie Connections:

References Ghost (1990)

Soundtrack:

Denver Boot

Watching with one eye shut

In "The Eye," a remake of a Chinese movie from 2002, Jessica Alba plays a blind woman who gets her sight back thanks to a successful cornea transplant. The only hitch is that with her new eyes - which were donated by a young lady with psychic powers - comes the unasked-for ability to see into the spirit world and predict the future.

"The Eye" might have been an interesting film had it focused solely on how a once-blind girl learns to adjust to life in a suddenly sighted world. Instead, we're subjected to an inane, gimmicky thriller in which the heroine improbably manages to run across either a dead person or someone doomed to die just about every time she turns a corner.

There's no end of point-of-view shots in which ghouls jump out and yell "Boo!" at the audience, but the whole thing is about as scary as a youngster dressed in a bedsheet doing the same thing on Halloween.