Les Yeux de Laura Mars

I saw Eyes of Laura Mars a few years ago and just watched it again very recently. I remembered it as being fantastic but upon watching it again I was a little disappointed. It's a solid film, by no means bad, it's just nothing all that special.

For the past 3 years or so I've been totally hooked on giallo's and this film plays in a lot of ways like an homage to those Italian thrillers. Touches here and there remind you of Dario Argento (obsessive mirror imagery, Laura's visions etc.), Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino and Mario Bava, such as the model settings and murder scenarios. While this film scores heavy on style (and music, though I find this soundtrack a bit hokey, but generally OK) it just lacks the magic that the best giallo's seem to have. The plot, while intriguing enough, is not nearly played out to it's full potential. There are gripping scenes here to be sure, but the film drags quite a bit and nothing virtually happens for a long period of time.

For seasoned giallo fans, we know the killer is most definitely gonna be the most unlikely one, and for a lack of suspects, I didn't find it hard to figure out who was guilty, but there's pretty much no logic to support it (but that's a giallo trademark, a pro rather than a con actually). For me, the problem is that this film doesn't have the same trashy feel and atmosphere as the best Italian thrillers it seems to be imitating. In a lot of ways I like this film, certain scenes are truly gripping but there's simply something lacking. Being a huge fan of John Carpenter, I can't help but think what he could have done had he directed this. He came up with the story and shares the credits as the writer of the screenplay and what's more, he loves the Italian giallo films as well. His own homage to the genre; Someone's Watching Me, the little known TV film was terrific and you could see that he definitely had the feel for the genre and could easily translate it to American settings. I don't feel that Kershner, as good a director as he is, has the same love for the genre as Carpenter.

I recommend watching it, it scores on a number of levels.

A 1970's supernatural thriller in which most of the positives for me had to do with its setting and time period. The on-location footage in the dirty streets of New York, the peek behind the scenes at fashion shows, and all the hair on these actors held some appeal. Tommy Lee Jones and Faye Dunaway are both reasonably good in their roles, and filling in a solid supporting cast are Brad Dourif and Raul Julia. It was fun hearing "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave and "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC and the Sunshine Band, though I didn't think the track from Barbra Streisand fit in as well.

The premise of a woman who suddenly develops the ability to see through the eyes of a serial killer was a pretty good one, and it was amusing guessing what was going, but the film got weaker as it went, leading to a disappointing payoff. The murder mystery is rather tepid (and a far cry from giallo if you ask me), and then a howlingly cheesy romance develops between the two leads. There is never a hint about what might be the cause of the clairvoyant ability, and the big twist doesn't jive very well with the actions of the characters beforehand. It's not terrible as a little window into the 70's, but it's not very good either.

"Eyes of Laura Mars" is a slow, flabby thriller that could have made MUCH better use of its intriguing (if not original) initial idea. Director Kershner shows some style and flair, but this movie needs tighter storytelling. I found the script, co-written by John Carpenter, clever and quite unpredictable (unless you're trying to find the identity of the killer strictly by guessing), and there are OK performances by the entire cast, but this film is ultimately defeated by its uneven, meandering pacing.

Laura Mars is a very successful fashion photographer who one day starts to get visions of brutal murders being carried out. Troubled and in fear for her sanity, Laura turns to the police for help. But this only adds to her problems as Detective Neville points out to her that the murder scenes bare similarities to some of her staged photographs. The pair of them must figure it out quickly because the murderer is closing in on Laura and those close to her.

In 1978, John Carpenter thrilled horror fans with his baby sitting terror piece, Halloween. Also released was this mystery/thriller/horror film, written by Carpenter and directed by Irvin Kershner {The Empire Strikes Back} which is a film that has been called anything from innovative to outright rubbish. The truth is that where Halloween is a horror film of no character substance, Eyes Of Laura Mars is a completely different animal. It's bright blending of 70s fashion photography with Carpenter's dastardly tale {tho the final draft was tampered by many}, is a success. This is a psychological thriller first and foremost, yes horror elements are there {it's a done deal with a serial killer on the loose}, but running alongside a clever romantic angle, the film gains an intensity that few other 70s psychological thrillers can boast.

The cast, other than an insipidly hammy Raul Julia, also come out rather well. Faye Dunaway {Mars}, Tommy Lee Jones {Neville}, Brad Dourif {horror staple that he is} and Rene Auberjonois give credit to well formed characters. Technically it's a fine picture as well, Irvin Kershner and his cinematographer Victor J. Kemper excellently utilise the New York City location. Especially during the fashion shoot sequences, where the 70s and its glamour is fully realised. "Innovated" blurred corridor shots to portray Laura's terrible visions are creepy and highly effective, while i would be surprised if anyone doubted the impact of a mirror shot in the glorious finale.

Thought by many to have not aged well, Eyes Of Laura Mars is often consigned to the cupboard marked "dated", that's unfair because good thrillers are good thrillers, regardless of age. Emotionally strong and pulsing with imminent terror, this is a badly undervalued, and forgotten picture. 8/10

This 1978 chiller directed by Irvin Kerschner (RoboCop 2) and based on a story by John Carpenter, has Faye Dunaway as a fashion photographer who suddenly discovers that she has the ability to "see" through the eyes of a serial killer. All her premonitions of the murders are very accurate, and the victims are all people she knows. Soon it becomes apparent the killer is coming after her. Tommy Lee Jones is great as the police lieutenant/love interest (back when his face wasn't pockmarked with age), and the supporting cast (Raul Julia, Brad Dourif) is excellent. The movie's depictions of the murders were quite shocking for it's day, and it manages to keep us scared and in suspense throughout, though some of the scenes border on grotesque. Direction by Kirschner is tight, music is suitably eery, and the performances are overall impressive. A winner