Lila & Eve - Blinde Rache

Not too surprising that Viola Davis gives a strong performance as a mother who has a very interesting nervous breakdown after her son's murder from a drive-by, and good for Jennifer Lopez who I can't remember the last time was in something really worth seeing. Her role as another grieving mother out for vengeance rather than justice was a turn in a different direction.

And the movie relies a lot on the strong performances of their star power. Though it acts like a mature version of Death wish, the movie is predicable like an action movie, and though I was expecting elements from the action genre, I was also expecting the movie to be a way better than a Made-for-TV cable movie starring an old TV star.

Maybe you should wait to see it on TV as well.

I think it's a good movie. Beautifully made. The color, the feel, the pace. It doesn't get boring. And it's emotionally touching. The leading actress is just great. And Lopez, considering the substance of her character that you come to realize later during the film, I think plays adequately, though people don't find her convincing. But, that's what she's supposed to be, cause she's a doer. She's the driving force, "the man" of this movie, while Viola is more of "a lady", more tender, empathetic and so on. So, I don't really understand, why people put Lopez down - she's done her part well.

The story is interesting. Cause it's a story about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. No Jason Statham or Tom Cruise to fix the problem here. Simple, fragile mother gets to fix her life - bring murderers or her son to justice. To me it was just interesting to watch. While my wife's eyes were constantly wet. Thank to Viola's amazing performance, mainly.

The morality of revenge has been used as theme in many occasions, Kevin Bacon and Jodie Foster have made similar works before. While it doesn't necessarily innovate crime genre, Lila & Eve works by displaying the intimate issue with strong performance. It's a story about two mothers seeking justice, yet ultimately absorbed by the vengeance in an attempt to cope with the overwhelming sadness.

Viola Davis as Lila is easily the best asset of the movie. She's completely believable as the grieving mother, often seen hurt and confused in highly sympathetic manner. She can draw audience interest and even suspense judgment as she dabbles in less savory acts. Since the movie almost entirely revolves around her trial, it's a boon to have a reliable lead.

Jennifer Lopez has a mixed record in acting. There are a couple of good movies when she delivered, but most of the material she worked were mismatches. The most advantage she has is she can appear to be not glamorous, as in Parker and The Boy Next Door. With Viola Davis, the chemistry is definitely present, she appears to be an integral part of Lila's story than just a guest star.

The movie is not without flaws though. It's hampered with a few crude developments. They can be a bit problematic, although not entirely jumping towards one-man-army action theme or overly bloody violence. Furthermore, the plot twist it tries to pull is predictable and it could've been more refined or subtle in its delivery.

Unfortunately, many elements of the movie are notoriously cliché. The vigilante thriller and the chasing cop aspect feel much too familiar. However, Lila & Eve has enough private sentiment to be emotionally engaging even though the cause might not be just.

"Maybe we could help each other." Lila (Davis) is a loving mother who has just lost her son in a drive by shooting. She is frustrated at the lack of evidence as to who and why and is getting upset at the police who do not seem to be doing all they should. She joins a grieving mothers support group and meets Eve (Lopez) who has also lost a child. When she tells Lila they should track down the killer themselves things become violent, and Lila and Eve do all they can to avenge their lost children. This is a movie that started out with so much promise but began to become repetitive and lose its edge the longer it went on. The movie is still very good and worth seeing but the movie Death Sentence with Kevin Bacon was very similar, and I though much better. The biggest fault I have with this movie is that it was geared toward the Lifetime movie crowd but added enough to make it an R rating. The movie never really makes it out of the Lifetime feel and to me that hurt it. Overall, not a bad movie and worth seeing, but essentially a hard edge Lifetime movie that doesn't really appeal to everyone like it should. I give this a B.

This film tells the story of a grieving woman who lost her son because of a shooting on the street. She attends a mothers' support group, where she finds support from another woman who lost her daughter.

"Lila & Eve" is quite a good thriller! Viola Davis is very good as a grieving mother. She makes her character very sympathetic and really connects with the viewers. Her grief is deep and hurting badly, but not overdone. Then a twist comes; I thought a twist would be coming as there are clues shattered around the film, but I thought it was something else. The ending is great and offers closure in a subtle manner. I enjoyed watching this thriller.