Angel Eyes

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jim Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto, Terrence Howard, Sonia Braga, Shirley Knight, Victor Argo
Directed by: Luis Mandoki
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A tough cop (Jennifer Lopez) meets and bonds with a mysterious man (Jim Caviezel) who is suffering from his painful past.

Review:

Tim: I was pleasantly surprised by Angel Eyes. I liked that this was a different, unique movie. It took me the entire film to really figure it out, which is pretty rare. I understand that many people might not like this film, but it really isn't a film for everyone. The story purposefully throws the audience off- we get these little subplots that don't really go anywhere or develop, but that's okay. They really add a quirky feel to the film and round out the characters. This film isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

I really felt confused about what kind of movie this wanted to be, but not necessarily in a bad way. This can obviously be a death knell for a film- if it comes across as confusing and poorly made. However, the confusion here definitely had an air of mystery about it. I was intrigued to discover what was going to happen and what this movie was really going to be about. I felt like the story was a little melodramatic, but overall, it was quite interesting.

The story itself is pretty entertaining, and it's fueled by the cast. Normally, I do not like Jennifer Lopez at all, because she is really not a good actor. However, I felt like her performance here was quite good. She was strong-willed and tough as a regular cop, but also showed a great deal of pain and suffering simmering underneath the surface. Her performance was interesting. I really like the casting of Jim Caviezel. I think he is a solid, entertaining actor, and he doesn't get enough great roles. He is quite mysterious here- it's an odd, almost off-putting performance, but at the same time, he draws you into the character. We really want to figure out who he is and what is his story. He works well with Lopez- these are two people in pain, and they form an unlikely, unexpected bond. I thought they interacted well together.

Jeremy Sisto was fine, but nothing special. I really liked the casting of Terrence Howard as Lopez's partner. The role is small, but he gets a few opportunities to really shine. Howard has some real talent as an actor, and I enjoyed him here.

Now, while I enjoyed this movie much more than I expected, I admit it has some flaws. The film is certainly polarizing, as it would be very easy to hate (and a lot of people certainly do). It's not a film that is easily accessible. You really have to throw yourself into the story and the characters. It's not a typical movie, nor is it an expected one. However, I really liked the emotional impact of the story and the characters. This is a memorable (albeit melodramatic) movie. It's certainly not a great film, but it entertained me, kept me engaged, and I had a fun time watching it.

I admit that Angel Eyes is a flawed movie, but I think it is very underrated. It's an entertaining, emotional movie, and it's one that I had a good time watching. While it's certainly not a film for everyone, I did like it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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