Passion Drives Us

Secret in their Eyes

secret_in_their_eyes_ver5

Director: Billy Ray

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts, Alfred Molina, Michael Kelly, Dean Norris, Zoe Graham, Joe Cole

Secret in Their Eyes is an American remake of the 2010 Argentinian film “El secreto de sus ojos” which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

The director of the Spanish language film  Juan José Campanella co-writes the screenplay with Captain Philips writer Billy Ray and this new version teams up the talents of Oscar winners Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Julia Roberts  (Erin Brockovich, Charlie Wilson’s War) with Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).

This three handed complex murder mystery is set in Los Angeles and Ejiofor plays a Counter-Terrorism detective Ray Kasten whose allegiance to an unsolved murder case involving his partners daughter Carolyn Cobb, glimpsed in flashbacks and played by Zoe Graham last seen in Boyhood, leads him and ambitious and beautiful district attorney Claire Sloane, played by Kidman to believe that Carolyn Cobb’s killer is still out there since the case was never technically solved.

Julia Roberts plays a washed out and grim-faced detective Jess Cobb, whose only daughter was the victim of a horrific crime. Secret in Their Eyes is a tense psychological thriller with a brilliant twist at the end, although at times the action could have been more captivating.

Considering the acting talents involved, Secret in Their Eyes tends to disappoint at times as the plot, stumbles along stretched between two time periods 2002 and 2014 which makes following the narrative more difficult.

The best scene in the film is when Kidman’s character Claire is questioning the main suspect Marzin played by Joe Cole with a hint of psycho-sexual paranoia thrown in. Audiences should look out for great performances by supporting actors Alfred Molina (Abduction, Prince of Persia) as Martin Morales and Michael Kelly, last seen in Netflix’s House of Cards as Reg Siefert.

One gets the feeling that the original Argentinian film was far more riveting. Secret in Their Eyes is recommended viewing but nothing spectacular and although Roberts, Kidman and Ejiofor are superb, one gets the sense that a better director would have made this English language version more riveting and less contrived. Viewers can judge for themselves.

 

 

 

Comments are closed.

Film Directors & Festivals
Reviews and Awards
Review Calender
January 2016
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
  • Meryl Streep’s ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Casting Got Pushback, Producer Was Told: ‘Are You Out of Your Mind? She’s Never Been Funny a Day in Her Life’
    It’s impossible to imagine “The Devil Wears Prada” without Meryl Streep’s icy, Oscar-nominated performance as Miranda Priestly, but it turns out there was initial resistance to casting the acting icon in the 2006 classic. During a recent appearance on the “Hollywood Gold” podcast, producer Wendy Finerman revealed Streep was almost passed over for the role because […]
    Zack Sharf
  • Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters Set to Each Receive Pay Packages Worth $40 Million in 2024
    Netflix’s board has approved 2024 pay packages of its top execs, with co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters each to receive compensation worth $40 million. For Sarandos, it’s the same level of pay he is set to receive in 2023. Peters is getting a step-up from the $34.65 million in target compensation for this year. […]
    Todd Spangler
  • Ryan O’Neal, ‘Love Story’ and ‘Paper Moon’ Star, Dies at 82
    Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, who came to prominence on TV’s “Peyton Place” and became a top star of the 1970s in films including “Love Story,” “What’s Up, Doc?,” “Paper Moon” and “Barry Lyndon,” died Friday, his son Patrick said on Instagram. He was 82. He was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate […]
    Pat Saperstein
  • ‘Cruel Summer’ and ‘Good Trouble’ Canceled at Freeform
    Freeform will not be moving forward with new seasons of “Cruel Summer” and “Good Trouble,” Variety has confirmed. An anthology series, Season 2 of of “Cruel Summer” followed the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship. “Approaching the story from three different timelines surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the […]
    Bbell96
  • Directors Guild Approves Tentative New Commercial Contract
    The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative agreement on a new commercial contract after several months of negotiating the terms. The National Board of Directors unanimously approved the deal Friday, which will next be presented to the membership for ratification. Per the DGA, the new tentative contract with the Association of Independent […]
    Jennifer Maas
  • Read More
    Different providers offer different cell phones, so take a look at the options from each provider to choose the right one for you. You may also want to look into any promotions that the providers have to offer, such as free cell phones in exchange for signing a contract. Tags: 2gmhass90