Eye of God

I watched this film late last night with the intention of just seeing the first half then and saving the rest for later. It didn't work out this way due to the fact that "Eye of God" is so utterly fascinating and potent a movie; you just can't take your eyes off the screen!

Martha Plimpton is truly unforgettable as Ainslee. She explores the nuances of her interesting character realistically and intelligently, adding her own unique charm and talents to the role with spellbinding effects. She really deserved a lot of praise and awards for this part!

Actually, all of the performances in this film are excellent, from Hal Holbrook's brilliantly understated sheriff to Kevin Anderson's chilling, masterful performance.

The plot couldn't be better constructed or in a more original way. The technique may be off-putting to some, which made me love this film even more; it will probably always be a film that is revered by a small few because it never takes a Hollywood approach to the material, nothing about this film is derivative of something else, so it will seem unfamiliar, alienating, and disconcerting to many.

It's a film with many moments that are nothing short of gems, a film that stays with you and feeds your mind.

If you haven't seen it and have even a passing interest in cinema, it's imperative that you track this film down on VHS or DVD; true masterpieces like this should be better known and sought for.

My rating: 10/10

Jack is released from prison and meets up with Ainsley, a young woman he has been writing letters to for quite some time. Ainsley is a sweet romantic simpleton who doesn't even want to know about the crime that put him in prison. Jack believes that he has been reformed by the justice system and by religion, but he's also a control freak. For strange reasons lost in the mysteries of the human heart, these poor souls decide to start a relationship.

One can't give away too much of the plot without collapsing the nonlineary framework of the film and ruining its breathtaking effect. So suffice it to say that this recipe for disaster is tossed up in the air along with the biblical story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and with all the theological and ethical problems both of these stories present. Everything builds to a whirling climax of nonlinear convergence and small-scale horror. In the end the audience is brought face-to-face with that grand philosophical theme "the problem of evil," and we find no easy solutions.

I have watched this film approximately five times, and the depth of the acting and brilliant presentation of the plot continue to impress me.

A small-town girl, played by Martha Plimpton, marries an ex-convict (who has to wear an ankle detector as a condition of his parole) immediately after he is released from prison. What evolves during the course of this movie forces viewers to consider faith versus the harsh reality of dealing who some people truly are at heart.

Directed by Tim Blake Nelson, most recently recognisable from his performances in Holes and The Good Girl, Eye of God is a story of doomed love and loneliness told out of order.

Martha Plimpton is Ainsley Dupree (a name I think sounds quite cool and have since used in stories of my own) a waitress who falls in love with a dangerous ex-con (Kevin Anderson). After wondering what the hell she has soon married into she seeks comfort with lonely teenager Tom.

I liked this movie a lot and the performances were very good all round. Especially Holbrook, he was just so believable as an old sheriff who's seen it all. Nick Stahl is much better here than he was in Disturbing Behavior. I think the last few scenes with him and Martha Plimpton were quite intimate and it really made the whole movie totally enjoyable for me.

Highly recommended but quite a rare film to come across in stores or on TV.

This is one of very few movies that I can actually say changed my life. There has never been any other film or work of art that has had such an emotional effect on me. Martha Plimpton and Nick Stahl are extraordinary; never have I cared so much for two fictional characters. And writer/director Tim Blake Nelson could not have possibly done better for his film debut. This is a movie you will never forget.