rava-1
I rented this one just as a Nick Stahl fan but was really amazed by how good it was. The disturbing tone and plot line stuck with me for days after viewing it. Stahl was wonderful as a traumatized boy who is just barely surviving his pain. Stahl's work in this film just hints at the depths of talent we may yet see from him. I don't think that Martha Plimpton has EVER been better in her role as a young woman searching for love and redemption. Hal Holbrook, his face a mixture of world-weariness, sadness and kindness, is the real center of the film and he does an amazing job.
One of the most moving things about this film was the idea that deep tragedy can strike at the most seemingly mundane of moments. Coupled with this is the concept that one can never really know what is in another's heart or mind. Because of the narrative form, one knows tragedy will strike, but the director purposefully seems to suggest that tragedy could enter into any setting, at any moment, with no warning. The bookend examination of the story of Abraham and Isaac is ultimately successful because Isaac (like the characters and viewer) was asked to have faith without any proof that seemingly negative events may have a positive reason. The director doesn't offer any pat answers to this dilemma, but he does show that tragedy can overwhelm a person.
gusalden
Eye of God, a suspenseful and painfully real story as narrated by Hal Holbrook who plays the town sherriff of an oil town in Oklahoma. He speaks of the story of Abraham & Isaac from the Old Testament with an air of sad resignation and cynicism. His faith in God has been eroded by a harrowing event and he is obviously bitter over it. I would venture to say the screenplay writer has a bone or two to pick with God, and having just seen this film, it's easier than ever for me to say rightfully so. This movie asks over and over again, "Why, God?"A local 14 year old boy has just been found by the local cops, in the woods by the lake, completely covered in blood, and in a state of speechless shock. The blood is not his. It's quite evident that he's been witness to a murder.As the story unfolds, it becomes quite evident early on in the movie what the outcome of this tragic story is going to be, but this doesn't detract from the suspense created by the film one iota. Wonderfully directed, the story is presented in fragmented pieces of time and space, like the pieces of a jig saw puzzle. You may already have a good idea what it's going to look like when it's all been put together, but the process of putting the pieces together is what keeps the viewer intently interested all the way to the seemingly inevitable conclusion.A very well told story, socially relevent, well directed, well cast and wonderfully acted. Martha Plimpton is fabulous in her role as the carrier of the eye of God. 9.5/10
pengreval
I have watched this film approximately five times, and the depth of the acting and brilliant presentation of the plot continue to impress me.A small-town girl, played by Martha Plimpton, marries an ex-convict (who has to wear an ankle detector as a condition of his parole) immediately after he is released from prison. What evolves during the course of this movie forces viewers to consider faith versus the harsh reality of dealing who some people truly are at heart.
Tetsel
If you watch this film, you WILL be affected. Although the "mystery" of what happened to the boy is easily deduced about halfway through, it soon becomes apparent that that is not the purpose of the film. Many times a film like this will drag you along with implications of a "deeper meaning" and then end with the "revelation" of who the killer was. Luckily, this one was true to itself and its name "The Eye of God". Martha Plimpton is wonderful, being all too real and therefore all the more tragic. There is strong symbolism here with "consummation of a marriage" and "abortion/murder" and the innocence of children. It is tough to explain without being a spoiler, but for those of you who have seen it : what the "devil" gave her (in a significantly "proper" manner) also drained her of life, which she in turn does herself to someone (literally). Overall, I would rate this as one of the most compelling films of the last few years.
AD
