THE EYE

Sidney Wells has been blind since childhood, but after the insistence of her sister Helen, she finally decides to undergo a cornea transplant. The operation is successful and Sidney regains her sight. Initially, the girl faces serious problems adapting to this new sense that has been dormant for too many years, but when the images in front of her eyes begin to become clearer, her real nightmare begins. In fact, Sidney starts seeing the souls of the deceased around her. With the help of Dr. Faulkner, she tries to understand this curse by investigating the identity of the person to whom her new eyes belonged. Death and especially the dead are to be feared! If there is one thing that unites Eastern and Western culture, it is the fear of what awaits us after death and the possibility that the deceased can wander among us. Vampires, zombies, and ghosts are all creatures of the collective imagination that validate this thesis, since every people, from one continent to another, has its own folklore myths that tell how death is not the end of everything, but rather the beginning of torments and the principle generator of atavistic fears. That is why a story like the one told in "The Eye" lends itself well to being shared by Eastern and Western cinema without having to introduce too many changes for adherence to a culturally defined vision. The ghosts appear to the (new) eyes of a Chinese girl in the same way they appear to those of an American girl, and that is why with the "The Eye" star-spangled version, we are dealing with one of the most useless remakes that Hollywood has provided us in recent years! For those who have already seen the beautiful film that the Pang brothers directed in 2002, it is therefore almost useless to dedicate themselves to watching the remake directed by the French Xavier Palud and David Moreau, since nothing changes (except for some very weak details in some scenes and a more good-natured ending) and moreover, there is a tendency to make the odyssey of the girl who could "see" the invisible much sweeter and less terrifying. Comparing the two films leads nowhere; they are both medium-to-high-budget productions with an admirable package and a not-too-original but effective story. What diminishes the American film in the comparison is the lack of those truly unsettling moments that characterized the Pang's film. And it is precisely by drawing these conclusions that the sterility of the poorly printed photocopy that lies behind this new "The Eye" is perceived. But let's set aside the comparison. Xavier Palud and David Moreau have behind them a cinematic debut that was able to leave a mark, "Them", a minimalist horror and tension-filled film that had great success. For their second work, they are called to work in America, but as is dangerously happening to talented directors from across the pond (Alexandre Aja docet), they are given a remake. The realistic touch of the duo's direction can be intuited here and there, especially in the flashbacks that show ferocious children with hoods on their faces who vent their rage with stones and beams against the poor "bruja". But the personal touch stops here; otherwise, the coldness of a work on commission can be sensed, capable of giving good camera movements and some well-choreographed sequences but little "felt". The plot undoubtedly reminds one of "The Sixth Sense" combined with the "Eye" segment directed by Tobe Hooper for the episodic film "Body Bags", but it still manages to carry forward an effective and interesting story that focuses on the drama of a woman, accustomed to living with four senses, suddenly endowed not only with the fifth but also with the sixth. The film attempts to undertake a reflection on the visible, in part valorized by the same cinematic medium, and on the danger of perceptual extension that for the cinematic spectator, here often put in the condition of seeing through the new eyes of the protagonist, is routine: looking through the eyes of others is an indispensable characteristic of cinematic enjoyment. In all this, it is worth noting the scene in which the young protagonist looks at herself in the mirror but sees the face of the owner of her eyes, a bit like the spectator cannot perceive his own face on the cinematic screen he is observing, a distorted mirror of a reality that only belongs to him for a handful of hours. The entire promotional campaign for "The Eye" was centered on the lead actress, Jessica Alba ("Sin City"; "Fantastic Four"), the beautiful and rising Californian who attempts with this film to demonstrate that she has not only a pretty face but also knows how to act. In fact, Alba's performance is not despicable and, especially in the phases of her rehabilitation, is credible. Parker Posey ("Cream 3"; "Blade: Trinity") in the role of sister Helen, however, is completely evanescent, and Alessandro Nivola ("Jurassic Park 3"; "The Darwin Awards") especially appears completely lost in the role of Dr. Faulkner. The film might be enjoyable especially for those who have not yet seen the original film by the Pang brothers, but for those who already know the Asian "The Eye" and its sequels, this remake is only an inconsistent déjà-vu.