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IMDbPro

The Eye

  • 20082008
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
54K
YOUR RATING
Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
The Eye Trailer
Play trailer2:08
1 Video
64 Photos
  • Horror
  • Mystery
Violinist Sydney Wells was accidentally blinded by her sister Helen when she was five years old. She submits to a cornea transplantation, and while recovering from the operation, she realize... Read allViolinist Sydney Wells was accidentally blinded by her sister Helen when she was five years old. She submits to a cornea transplantation, and while recovering from the operation, she realizes that she is seeing dead people.Violinist Sydney Wells was accidentally blinded by her sister Helen when she was five years old. She submits to a cornea transplantation, and while recovering from the operation, she realizes that she is seeing dead people.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
54K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • David Moreau
    • Xavier Palud
  • Writers
    • Sebastian Gutierrez(screenplay)
    • Yuet-Jan Hui(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
    • Oxide Chun Pang(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
  • Stars
    • Jessica Alba
    • Alessandro Nivola
    • Parker Posey
Top credits
  • Directors
    • David Moreau
    • Xavier Palud
  • Writers
    • Sebastian Gutierrez(screenplay)
    • Yuet-Jan Hui(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
    • Oxide Chun Pang(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
  • Stars
    • Jessica Alba
    • Alessandro Nivola
    • Parker Posey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 176User reviews
    • 171Critic reviews
    • 36Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    The Eye
    Trailer 2:08
    The Eye

    Photos64

    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Alessandro Nivola in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba and Alessandro Nivola in The Eye (2008)
    Parker Posey and Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba, Xavier Palud, and David Moreau in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba and Alessandro Nivola in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba and Alessandro Nivola in The Eye (2008)
    Jessica Alba in The Eye (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jessica Alba
    Jessica Alba
    • Sydney Wellsas Sydney Wells
    Alessandro Nivola
    Alessandro Nivola
    • Dr. Paul Faulkneras Dr. Paul Faulkner
    Parker Posey
    Parker Posey
    • Helen Wellsas Helen Wells
    Rade Serbedzija
    Rade Serbedzija
    • Simon McCulloughas Simon McCullough
    Fernanda Romero
    Fernanda Romero
    • Ana Christina Martinezas Ana Christina Martinez
    Rachel Ticotin
    Rachel Ticotin
    • Rosa Martinezas Rosa Martinez
    Obba Babatundé
    Obba Babatundé
    • Dr. Haskinsas Dr. Haskins
    Danny Mora
    Danny Mora
    • Miguelas Miguel
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    • Aliciaas Alicia
    Brett A. Haworth
    • Shadowmanas Shadowman
    Kevin Phan
    Kevin Phan
    • Tomi Cheungas Tomi Cheung
    • (as Kevin K.)
    Tamlyn Tomita
    Tamlyn Tomita
    • Mrs. Cheungas Mrs. Cheung
    Esodie Geiger
    Esodie Geiger
    • Nurseas Nurse
    Karen Elizabeth Austin
    Karen Elizabeth Austin
    • Mrs. Hillmanas Mrs. Hillman
    • (as Karen Austin)
    Ryan J. Pezdirc
    • Nurse Room Attendantas Nurse Room Attendant
    James Salas
    • Jimas Jim
    Brett O'Mara
    • Brettas Brett
    • (as Brett Omara)
    Landall Goolsby
    Landall Goolsby
    • Alexas Alex
    • Directors
      • David Moreau
      • Xavier Palud
    • Writers
      • Sebastian Gutierrez(screenplay)
      • Yuet-Jan Hui(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
      • Oxide Chun Pang(2002 screenplay "Jian gui")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To prepare for her role, Jessica Alba took violin lessons for six months, which she started while filming Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). She also learned basic Braille.
    • Goofs
      When Dr Faulkner and Sydney put Mrs Martinez in the car to take her to the hospital it is in the driveway very close to the house but they didn't park in the driveway they parked on the road and walked up the driveway to the house.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Teen on Skateboard: Oh, shit. Thanks. I didn't see that.

      Sydney Wells: Neither did I.

      Sydney Wells: [voice-over while Sydney walks in the street and settles in a café] People say seeing is believing, but for me, that's not entirely true. I lost my sight when I was five years old. Those memories of what I have seen have faded so much that I doubt I'd even recognize myself anymore. Now I see using my other senses. I can smell the rain before it drops, but I can't watch it fall. I can feel the sun on my face, but I can't see it rise or set. I want to see the world like everyone else, to see the sun, the rain, the music. Oh I bet music looks beautiful.

    • Connections
      Featured in Late Show with David Letterman: Jessica Alba/Julie Chen/The Whigs (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 5 in F Major (Spring), Op. 24
      Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

      Arranged by Ceiri Torjussen

    User reviews176

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Blurry around the edges, but still a fine sight
    The Eye (2008) I knew going into the theater that this would be a bit scary. OK, maybe traumatizing. I had a LASIK procedure done a couple of years ago, and although I wasn't blind beforehand, I did have pretty bad eyesight. I know a bit about the trepidation - perhaps even outright terror - one feels before undergoing an operation on one's eyeballs. I still get a little skeeved when I see a closeup of eyes, come to think of it.

    Jessica Alba plays Sydney, a blind concert violinist who has a double corneal transplant, and of course things go wrong. Not with the surgery itself, but with the psychological aftermath - she sees dead people. And dead things. And undead. And so on; it looks like she's tapped into a spiritual world, or something. No one else can see what she's seeing, which is par for the course in movieland, but all of the demons and smoke and fire and other sfx seem extremely, utterly, real to Sydney.

    Alba is excellent, showing that she has more than just two (or three) talents to show the world. Her Sydney is appealing in her vulnerability; Alba, a beautiful young woman, manages to make you feel as if her character could, indeed, live in your world: less glitzy starlet, more three-dimensional person. Of course, she's still a knockout, and she IS a supremely talented musician, and she DOES live in a super-posh apartment in a high rise, but still. Alba shows wonderful range, from tender to fragile, without giving up any sincerity. The movie hinges on her ability to sell the audience on her character's Everywoman (to a point) status, and I think she delivers.

    Some of you may be thinking you've already seen this movie before, when it was called Blink. In Blink, Madeline Stowe played a young woman who lost her sight as a child (as did Sydney) and then grew up to be a talented violinist; after a new eye operation temporarily restores some sight, she sees things. Just like Sydney. Huh. Still, this isn't a redo of Blink, it's a remake of a Chinese film called Gin gwai. Asian films have made the rounds of Hollywood in recent years (The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water), and although the remakes usually don't have the subversive bite of their original counterparts, some of them hold up rather well when inundated with high-tech CGI. The Eye does use special effects, but it uses them - pardon me - to great effect; you're not overwhelmed with attention-grabbing CGI.

    The biggest debit in the movie is the love interest, Sydney's doctor, Paul (Alessandro Nivola), who seems dull and unimportant, although his believing in and trusting Sydney is a linchpin for moving the plot. He just seems vacant and stiff, hardly a commendation of Nivola's acting abilities. (Think of a younger Dylan McDermott.) On the other hand, a good counterbalance to Nivola is Parker Posey as Sydney's concerned sister, who, although she doesn't immediately buy into Sydney's rantings, does empathize and attempt to understand a bit better than the hunky doctor.

    Overall, The Eye is a tense, shudder-filled movie that manages to dress up a recycled plot with dead-on performances and evocative cinematography.
    helpful•82
    49
    • dfranzen70
    • Feb 3, 2008

    FAQ9

    • What is 'The Eye' about?
    • Is this film based on a book?
    • How did Sydney become blinded at five?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1, 2008 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Con Mắt Âm Dương
    • Filming locations
      • Albuquerque National Dragway - 5700 Bobby Foster Rd, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lionsgate
      • Paramount Vantage
      • Cruise/Wagner Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $31,418,697
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $12,425,776
      • Feb 3, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $58,010,320
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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