French filmmakers David Moreau and Xavier Palud (Them) co-direct this
English language remake of Oxide & Danny Pang's 2002 horror-thriller
about a woman plagued by nightmarish visions of the dead.
The Eye hinges on a speculative phenomenon called cellular memory, which
claims some transplant patients exhibit characteristics of the donor.
In the case of Moreau and Palud's film, the sightless heroine undergoes
a cornea transplant and suddenly glimpses a netherworld of pain and
suffering.
The new version pales next to the chilling original, transplanting the
ghostly goings-on from Hong Kong and Thailand to Los Angeles and Mexico.
The central narrative remains largely intact though, centring on
talented concert violinist Sydney Wells (Alba), who has been blind since
the age of five but this hasn't prevented her dazzling audiences with
her skilled musicianship.
Sydney's sister Helen (Posey) encourages her to undergo cornea
transplant surgery, so that she will be able to enjoy her life to the
full with all five senses.
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The operation goes smoothly but then Sydney begins to notice spectral
figures that no one else can see.
"I'm seeing things I shouldn't see, I'm dreaming things I haven't seen,"
she sobs.
Fearing that she might be losing her mind, she seeks help from
psychiatrist Dr Paul Faulker (Nivola), who is dismissive of Sydney's
claims that she can see the dear departed, but is also intrigued by her
symptoms.
THE EYE (15, 96 mins) Horror/Thriller.
Released: April 24
When the visions become increasingly vivid, Sydney and Paul head to
Mexico to investigate a tragic fire and the subsequent suicide of a girl
dubbed a witch by the locals.
The interlopers realise that the chilling hallucinations are an omen of
impending doom and it is up to Sydney to use her new gift of foresight
to make a difference.
The Eye opens with a young woman, Ana (Romero), hanging herself in a
wooden hut and something wicked emerging from the shadows to claim her
soul.
This is as unsettling as Moreau and Palud's pedestrian film ever gets,
drawing out the evidence of a connection between Sydney and the donor
for as long as possible, culminating in the striking image of the
heroine looking in the mirror and seeing Ana instead.
Ghosts clutter the hallways and elevator of Sydney's apartment block but
regrettably there is no time to consider their potentially intriguing
stories.
Alba affects an ever-changing array of startled and shocked expressions
to reflect her heroine's fragile mental state, and she's even less
convincing with a violin and bow.
Nivola and Posey's two-dimensional supporting characters exist solely to
further the plot and drive it towards its explosive resolution - a big
action sequence that packs far less punch than the original, considering
all of the build-up.
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