Red Eye (2005)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Wes Craven

Writers (WGA):

Carl Ellsworth (screenplay)
Carl Ellsworth (story) ...

Release Date:

19 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Fear Takes Flight

Plot:

A woman is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in offing a politician.

Plot Keywords:

Flight | Hotel | Plane | Hotel Manager | Death

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Rachel McAdams	...	Lisa Reisert
Cillian Murphy	...	Jackson Rippner
Brian Cox	...	Joe Reisert
Jayma Mays	...	Cynthia
Laura Johnson	...	Blonde Woman
Max Kasch	...	Headphone Kid
Angela Paton	...	Nice Lady
Suzie Plakson	...	Senior Flight Attendant
Jack Scalia	...	Charles Keefe
Terry Press	...	Marianne Taylor (as Teresa Press-Marx)
Robert Pine	...	Bob Taylor
Carl Gilliard	...	Taxi Driver
Mary Kathleen Gordon	...	Airline Representative (as Mary-Kathleen Gordon)
Loren Lester	...	Irate Passenger
Philip Pavel	...	Dallas Ticket Agent

Also Known As:

Vuelo nocturno (Argentina) (Ecuador) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Sous haute pression (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Ночной рейс (Russia) [ru]
Gece uçusu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Night Flight (South Korea) [ko]
Nyhterini ptisi (Greece) [el]
Red Eye (Italy) [it]
Vôo Noturno (Brazil) [pt]
Vol sous haute pression (Canada: French title) [fr]
Yölento (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence, and language.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Finland:K-15 | New Zealand:M | Philippines:PG-13 | Norway:15 | Argentina:13 | Ireland:12A | Indonesia:Dewasa | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Iceland:14 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Belgium:KT | Czech Republic:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13 | UK:12A | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles International Airport - One World Way, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Both Wes Craven and Carl Ellsworth filmed cameos as airline passengers in the airport terminal. Wes Craven couldn't keep a straight face with his script supervisor Sheila, so their cameo wound up on the cutting room floor. Ellsworth's cameo remains in the final cut: three women are sleeping on the terminal seats and they all have their heads resting on the next ones shoulders, until the last one is sleeping on a man's shoulder; this is Carl Ellsworth wearing a green sweatshirt promoting the band Outkast.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the restroom on the plane, Jack has his hand on Lisa's face just on the wall across from the mirror. His hand position changes in every shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Marianne Taylor: Taylor. Bob and Marianne Taylor.
Cynthia: Just bear with me one second.
Marianne Taylor: There are other hotels in Miami.
Cynthia: I'm really sorry.
Marianne Taylor: What is the problem here? We made these reservations over six months ago.

Movie Connections:

References "Dr. Phil" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Where Do I Begin?

Wes Craven finally gets the red out of his eyes and brings us something not irritating to see

Scream was Wes Craven's last decent thriller. Since then there has been nothing but an unbearable streak of Hollywood trash barely good enough for a blockbuster night, including the disappointment of the Scream sequels. Perhaps the genius and the craftsmanship devoted to the movie drained all the energy and creativity out of him, so that when it came time for supper, he had nothing to serve us but his own doo doo. Finally, after who knows how many bad movies later, he gives us a delicious, ruthless, gripping, chilling suspense thriller with Red Eye.

Rachel McAdams once again delivers an enjoyable performance as she plays a hotel manager who has the unfortunate connection with an important political figure and regular at her hotel. Then she meets Jackson Ripner (Cillian Murphy, Batman Beyond) at the airport, who she gets to know a little better after a delayed flight and a bay breeze. What she doesn't know is he already knows her. And he also knows her father, who she will never see again if she fails to cooperate and meet Jackson's demands- to use her connections to set up her hotel regular for assassination.

You're probably thinking this is nothing but your everyday thriller complete with predictability and chase scenes. Although this is a good old fashioned thriller, that's the beauty of it. No special effects. No cheap make up. Just classic suspense. You feel the desperation and regret with every decision McAdams is forced to make and you actually care for her as you cheer her on every move she makes to find an escape from her claustrophobic position.

As always she delivers an entertaining and convincing performance. It's either her sweet face or her uncanny ability to sincerely cry, but you always seem to sympathize with her if her role demands it. Cillian Murphy on the other hand is naturally creepy looking, so even if the trailer didn't reveal it, his ultimate transition from charming stranger to merciless jackass isn't so surprising. Perhaps it would have been more trippy to see a nice guy persona like Toby Maguire transforming into evil relentless madman. Nevertheless, Cillian Murphy, after his true identity is established, played the role so solidly you'd really want him to die, or at least get his ass kicked.

Don't overlook this feature. There are plenty of chalkboard screeching moments and heart jumpers that will keep your eyes on the screen instead of your watch like you would at Craven's recent pictures. If not for the you, do it for all the times you'll see your girlfriend, or boyfriend, or someone with popcorn jump and cling on to you. Wes finally gets it right. Aside from his trademark mastery in suspense, Red Eye is not without its humor as McAdams' replacement Cynthia at the front desk fumbles to keep the hotel in order. It was a relief that Red Eye wasn't a disappointment. Instead you'll get the pleasure of seeing McAdams deliver another incredibly talented performance, Murphy look creepier by the minute, and Craven craft a classic traditional thriller. A flight that was delayed and would have been the beginning of Craven's renaissance had it arrived right after Scream.