Jessica Alba receives more than she bargained for with a cornea transplant in THE EYE. Alba is Sydney Wells, a blind concert violinist who elects to have a cornea transplant to regain her eyesight. The surgery goes well, but the aftereffects seem a bit peculiar. In addition to regaining her eyesight, Sydney also begins to see things that others aren’t able to.
In comparison to more recent horror fare, THE EYE is refreshing from a plot perspective. The film is more intent on telling a story, and revealing certain points and mysteries instead of mutilating bodies. If it’s technique is rewarding in comparison to the seemingly weekly torture porn flicks, it’s execution is unfortunately not. The screenplay, written by Sebastian Gutierrez and based on the Hong Kong film JIAN GIU, takes an overly long time to establish the fear and horror that Sydney encounters, and an evener longer time in piecing together the mystery. Part of the problem is Alba herself. She brings little conviction, and a very false sense of angst to Sydney’s predicament. The depth of frustration that a person would be feeling under these circumstances is lost in Alba’s performance. The odd relationship she has with her poorly shaved, loose tie-wearing eye specialist also limits the picture. This sub-plot tinkers with a romance, but never does, and creates several awkward moments. In spite of it’s inadequacies, THE EYE still delivers a fairly strong finish. It’s unfortunate that much of the movie was a slog.
Grade: C-
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