Aux yeux de tous

This is a rare beast a remake that is actually pretty good. Although it it isn't as good as the original, lacking the slow burn nature of it, it's still a well made and entertaining film.

It's pretty similar to the original but the shorter running time means it's faster paced which does diminish it's substance.

What makes this worth watching even for those who have seen the original is the acting. It boasts a top rate cast with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Roberts particularly good.

For those who have seen the original this will hold no surprises but for those who haven't seen it, it is well worth watching with a great ending.

This film is far better than than 6.2 rating it has received which seems mostly to come from those wanting to compare it to the Argentinian original. I am rating this as a separate film and not comparing it to the original. The acting is top notch and believable. Ejiofor, Kidman and Roberts all do a great job.

It's an interesting crime thriller with some twists and turns. It's about a team of rising investigators, along with their supervisor, whose worlds are suddenly torn apart during a homicide investigation that hits close to home. It was completely watchable and entertaining. I'm not saying this is a high brow, blow your socks of type of movie, but it certainly deserves a far higher rating.

I am certainly not saying that the original might not be much better. I have it on my list to watch but in my opinion, if you like thrillers and movies with some twists and turns and want to be entertained I recommend giving it a chance.

If you haven't seen "El Segreto de sus ojos" I beg you to stop reading and go check it out, it is, in my opinion, one of those rare and pure thrillers that keeps you glued to the screen for two hours. Yet, despite loving the original, I wasn't going into this one ready to bitch about it. I am someone who is very sniffy about remakes, but hey if you have an fascinating premise that can be explored through various styles and dynamics I am all for it. Especially in this case, I think that keeping some of the core material and turning other parts completely around could have made for a fascinating narrative, unfortunately the American remake, with the exception of maybe two or three ides, doesn't improve, explore or further the original in anyway and sometimes even edges the shot-by-shot remake treatment.

Look, this isn't a terrible thriller, but the emotional beats you are carried through are just the same of the original, it really seemed to be watching a cheap version of it. It is way too reminiscent of the original and at some moments I really felt exactly when I saw it. Whilst at other moments I kind of felt sorry for the remake because it doesn't manage to replicate some of the amazing photography the first one had and actually miserably fails: this film has some really, noticeably cheap cinematography and editing.

The performances are all kind of off beat. Julia Roberts is definitely the best one, even though she also has some low points. The rest of the cast is just flat honestly. Nobody even tries to come in and give it some palpable passion. The film is also inconsistent with tone and I am not sure they understood the fascination of the original because a lot of the focus points are just sidelined or shoehorned in.

That's also a real bummer, because the film does have just a couple of good ideas that aren't simply built on. They tread too much of the same ground and do it in a way that is simply too familiar. I can maybe think of one thing that was improved upon and that is mainly thanks to Julia Roberts' talent. The score is something that positively sticks out and probably the purest good thing to come out of the film.

In the end we are treated to a fine thriller that doesn't live up to its potential and only manages to justify its length thanks to memories of the original and the same emotions instead of relevant improvement and originality.

"Secret in Their Eyes" is a dark remake of the excellent Oscar winner "El secreto de sus ojos" (2009). The story of the Argentinian-Spanish film is magnificent and the cast of "Secret in Their Eyes" is top-notch. Despite the confused screenplay, the result is a film not comparable to the original but worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Olhos da Justiça" ("Eyes of the Justice")

Hollywood loves to remake foreign language films and it's at it again with an Argentinian film that was made only six years ago. The Secret in Their Eyes received the Best Foreign Language Oscar but there's no chance for this production to be even nominated in any Oscar categories. I haven't seen the original so I can't compare the two movies but knowing Hollywood's track record with remakes, the Argentinian version would have been a superior production.

In 2002, a team of FBI investigators including Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Jess (Julia Roberts) along with a newly arrived district attorney, Claire (Nicole Kidman), are based in Los Angeles to prevent terrorists from inflicting more damage to the American way of life after 9/11 the previous year. The agency receives a call about an incident that has taken place in the vicinity of a mosque. Thinking this is terror-related they make the grim discovery of a murdered young lady who just so happens to be Jess' daughter, Carolyn (Zoe Graham). The agents make an arrest but the man is released as he is a snitch for the FBI, providing names of terrorists to the organization. For 13 years, Ray logs onto the criminal database and eventually finds the man who might have been responsible for Carolyn's death. Will justice be served after 13 years?

The main problem with the story is the ridiculous number of flashbacks throughout the whole film. There are even flashbacks within flashbacks. The flow of the narrative is constantly interrupted and there are occasions where you have to think when the story is being set. As for the story itself, it is rather lacking in thrills which takes away the dramatic impact of the whole situation. This is rarely edge of your seat material which is a shame as the story should lend itself to a tense and dramatic thriller. 

What the story does well is provide character interactions and depict why people act and behave the way they do. If you are after a character study then you will be happier with the development of the story. For characterizations to excel you need actors who you can empathize with. Ejiofor is the main star and he performs with distinction while Roberts doesn't have as many scenes but she is excellent in conveying her emotions. Kidman is overshadowed by her counterparts but still manages to bring her character to life. Dean Norris as FBI agent Bumpy Willis brings some humor to his role, ensuring that the tone of the story isn't dour for the whole film. Alfred Molina has several scene- stealing scenes as District Attorney Martin Morales.

A movie with two Oscar winning actresses and an Oscar nominated actor should have been better than this. Here is a definite case of the trailer being more exciting than the film itself. The final product only provides a fraction of what the intriguing premise had to offer.  http://mlaimlai2.wix.com/magical-movie-review