[yasr_overall_rating]
A tight-knit team of rising investigators, along with their supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. I haven’t seen it, but I’m told it holds a tense, disturbing plot brilliantly populated with compelling actors. I wish I could say the same for “Secret in Their Eyes,” the American remake. When remaking an excellent foreign film, Hollywood executives struggle to find the right balance between artistry and appeal. Film makers fell into a similar trap when filming the English version of “Insomnia.” While the American version featured fantastic name actors who performed well, the film itself dimly reflected its Swedish counterpart. Such is the case with “Secret in Their Eyes.”
The film really tells two stories, one in flashback and one taking place today. The flashback story is a grim one of two federal agents, who are close friends, working with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office to gather evidence on a radical Muslim sleeper cell in a mosque in early 2002. With the fervor of post 9/11 vigilance clouding minds and placing most resources on counter terrorism, nobody thinks much of the dead body discovered next to the mosque. However, the two agents, Jess (Julia Roberts) and Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor), find something far more horrific. The body is Carolyn, Jess’s daughter (Zoe Graham) who has been brutally raped and beaten to death. Ray desperately investigates the crime, against orders, but is unable to find enough evidence to charge the man he believes committed the murder. Along the way Ray falls in love with the new assistant district attorney, Claire (Nicole Kidman), who secretly worked with Ray to catch the killer.
The contemporary story finds Ray having left federal service, but not the case. He brings information back to Los Angeles, where Claire now holds the District Attorney’s office in place of her old boss, Martin Morales (Alfred Molina). In his folder, Ray claims to have found proof of the whereabouts of Carolyn’s murderer, who disappeared just after his original dealings with Ray. He brings the information to Claire, and sees Jess, who has aged considerably and wears the look of an old worn out hat, for the first time in years. From here, the two stories weave together like two threads that don’t quite touch.
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s acting remains precise and fluid. For my money, he’s the best male actor on the market right now. While he doesn’t disappoint in this film, he doesn’t have the room he needs to bring his character’s frustrations to full bloom. Ray should feel completely desperate and suffering under the weight of 13 years worth of guilt, but it feels more like he’s looking for his stolen car than for the man who murdered his partner’s daughter. He teams up with DA agent Bumpy Willis (Dean Norris), who still bears the scars from their previous investigation. Norris plays to type, a great “buddy cop” who offers some comic relief and a little recklessness to liven up a few scenes. He’s a much better actor than this role gives him credit for, but he does all he can with it.
Nicole Kidman bears the largest burden of the cast. She seems to have been placed there simply because she’s still so stunningly beautiful. For most of the film, she plays the coy, flirty object of Ray’s affection without straying too far from type. In her contemporary scenes, Claire the DA is a confident woman, but still follows Ray’s lead even though she’s not at all convinced by his evidence. She gets one brilliant scene in flashback mode where she confronts bad guy Marzin (a cool and creepy Joe Cole). In this one moment, she delivers the best acting in the film, nervy and unsettling, putting both Marzin and the audience on notice.
While the movie belongs essentially to Ejiofor, Julia Roberts gives its steadiest and most convincing performance. She ditches the glamour of prior films for a world weary, heart worn woman whose grief simply will not subside. Watch for the contrast in her look from the moment she appears in Claire’s office to see Ray to the happier scenes she shares with her colleagues in the office. The transformation is stark and almost immediate, and Roberts shows more range in the subtle gestures of her body movements and facial expressions than most actors do through an entire film of movement.
Writer/Director Billy Ray operates from a screenplay translated from the original “El Secreto de Sus Ojos.” Despite this, the new film drags much of the time. Scenes give away too much information, or he cuts from present day to flashback at the wrong time to build suspense much. His clues become obvious and he breaks one of my cardinal rules by assuming the audience isn’t smart enough to put them together at the climax. I expected more from the man who brought us the gems “Shattered Glass” and “Breach.” To date, I’m pretty sure he’s the only director to have gotten a good performance out of Hayden Christenson.
Where Ray succeeds is in keeping the basic feel of a good thriller intact and creating a believably American backdrop for the story. The climax oozes tension and wonder, even if you’ve already guessed the ending. It also raises some powerful ethical questions to keep the ride home or the conversation over dinner interesting. The seeming paranoia expressed by Molina’s politician of a DA echoes the current discussion regarding Syrian refugees a little too closely for comfort. The film begs the question, “Have we lost our priorities when it comes to fighting terror and protecting our citizens?”
When taken as a whole, “Secret in Their Eyes” remains a solid, if unspectacular film. It would make for a fantastic Saturday night rental some day, but I’m not sure I’d want to shell out $12 to see it. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. On the contrary, it’s just not a great one.
In theaters November 20th
