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Codex Atanicus
Codex Atanicus is a three story anthology by Spanish director Carlos Atanes. Before watching the movie I never heard of the guy, but the introduction video on the DVD by one of his regular actresses Arantxa Peņa made me realize that I'm in for a hell of a ride. Experimental, bizarre, sick, strange - these are some of the words that describe the stories contained in Codex Atanicus. The anthology is opened by a 20 minute short from 1995 called Metaminds & Metabodies. I am really not into this kind of experimental videos, but I will try to summarize. It opens with a girl singing in the club. Everything looks ultra underground and the girl is connected with some wires to the walls. Strange people are watching her...
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Movie Review: Red Eye

Story
Lisa (Rachel McAdams), after a visit to Dallas, takes the flight back to Miami. Before entering the flight, she meets Jackson (Cillian Murphy) and their attraction grows. When on the plane, Jackson actually has the seat next to Lisa but he turns out to be something totally different from the nice guy she first though he was. Planning to kill the deputy secretary of Homeland Security who's gonna stay at the Lux Atlantic Hotel, the very same hotel that Lisa is the manager of. So he needs her help, and if she refuses, her father will be killed.

Comments
To be honest, I don't understand why so many people were so attracted to this movie. It's just a standard thriller and it's not even that clever. Personally I don't think it's bad at all and it's very entertaining, but in the end, it's not fantastic or even remotely close to being so either.

Is it because it's Wes Craven who directed it? You tell me. I think he has done a lot of good flicks, but I sure don't think that everything the man directs is brilliant.

What Red Eye really has going for it is that it's fast-paced and that it never really slows down. It sure has some tension and suspense but does not offer the kind of suspense that makes you chew of your nails or anything like that. It's good for being a thriller and you get 85 entertaining minutes of film, but it's nothing that stays with you long after viewing it.

Red Eye Red Eye

What I kind of missed when finished watching Red Eye, was that it had no clever twist in the end, and that's maybe one of the reasons why it won't stay with you for long after seeing it. It also has a very basic story, don't get me wrong as it works really well, but in the end the story's nothing that special either.

About the acting one can't really make any complaints since both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy do a very good job with their characters. On the other hand I'm not a fan of Cillian Murphy and find him kinda irritating to watch. Although I think it works pretty well here, better than in Batman Begins anyway.

The majority of the film takes place on the airplane with the two main characters, and even if that might sound a bit boring, it's the most interesting part. It's actually when they get off the plane that it starts to become a too standard kind of tv thriller.

Final Comments
This is simple entertainment that works really well if you want nothing more. Both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy manages to do a good job with their characters and also manages to create some tension. Red Eye is a fast-paced flick and it's a fun ride that is worth watching, but not a movie that you'll remember and that'll really stay with you. Recommended.

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Red Eye

ALTERNATIVE TITLE:
MOVIE YEAR: 2005
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITING CREDITS: Carl Ellsworth
GENRE: Mystery, Thriller
CAST: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox
COUNTRY: USA
RUNTIME: 85 min

RATING: 6/10

Red Eye Website/IMDB Click here
Red Eye Trailer Click here

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