EAGLE EYE

Last weekend I had the pleasure to catch Eagle Eye with a good friend of mine. The next day I was able to catch Lakeview Terrace which I will review after this. If things go well there will be THREE reviews today because I finished reading Broken Wednesday. ((Yes I could review them all in one long post but I'd like to keep them separate so I don't have like 20 Labels.))

EAGLE EYE

The film tells the story of Jerry Shaw (played by Shia Labeouf) who, after attending his brother's funeral, walks into his apartment to find boxes upon boxes of weapons and chemicals. His world is turned upside-down as he is hunted by the police, and receives a series of mysterious phonecalls that direct him to his next location or task. Along the way he meets Rachel Holloman (played by Michelle Monaghan), who has also received the mysterious calls. Who is this woman who calls and threatens them? How does she know so much about them? How does he see their every move? And how far will they have to go before she releases her hold on their life?

Any doubts I had with the story were gone the second the first call came in. The movie starts out a little slow, showing you what a regular-Joe Jerry Shaw really is. It's supposed to be boring because then, when the story takes off, you are as shocked, confused, and afraid as he is. 

You're kept at the edge of your seat as one thing after another continues to go wrong for Shaw, and you find that the truth behind the mysterious caller is more terrifying-- and possible --than you ever imagined.

Shia Labeouf gets a lot of bad publicity from movie-goers and the like. These are the people who can't get past his role in the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens where Labeouf plays a wacky, not-too-bright younger sibling who is always causing mayhem.

What they fail to see is how much he has grown as an actor. To me, he doesn't even look like the old Disney character anymore; He's completely different.

One strengh I see in him that I never saw in the television series, is his ability to perform emotional scenes. In Disturbia, he showed the world with one look how devastating the blow of losing a father is. In Transformers, when Megatron has him trapped on a rooftop, he shows us how someone could be completely terrified, yet determined all at the same time. In Constantine, when his character is beaten to death, he shows the innocence of a teen who just wanted to aid in something greater than himself. 

And then, in Eagle Eye, he expresses his sorrow over losing his brother, and his guilt in not being there more all in one look over the casket.

So no one can say he can't act.

His performance in Eagle Eye was just as impressive as his performance in Disturbia. What starts as fear and awkwardness turns into strengh and determination as he fights for his, and Rachel's, lives.

Michelle Monaghan seems to be a new up-and-coming actress. I never really heard of her until this year with her leading role in Made of Honor-- which I have not seen. However, I will definitely be looking her up from now on based on her performance in this film. Monaghan plays the role of Rachel Holloman, a mother whose son's life is threatened unless she, along with Labeouf, obeys the commands of this mysterious caller. 

Monaghan effortlessly convinced me she was a mother worried sick for the safety of her child. It was in her eyes, her face, her very stance. She isn't an amazing person, she's just a single mother working to make ends meet. But when her own is threatened she will do anything, even if she's almost paralyzed with fear while doing it.

At one point in the film she really steps it up and holds two men at gun point. Rachel doesn't care what happens to her anymore. She just wants to get things done and keep her son safe.

This film had a fantastic cast, with the one exception of Billy Bob Thornton.

Thornton played the role of Agent Thomas Morgan. He wasn't terrible, but he never convinced me he was an agent. His performance seemed to lack confidence and control. Even an agent who has made mistakes in the past always come through in the end with flying colors. But Thornton didn't. 

As the story neared the end I saw no growth with his character. Sure, I saw what was supposed to be there: knowledge, trust, determination-- But Thornton failed to perform them convincingly. He never seemed like an officer to me. Just a man staying close by putting his two-cents in on how to figure things out.

Fortunately, his performance did nothing to hinder the film overall. I was completely overwhelmed with stress and anxiety as I followed Jerry and Rachel's story all over the country.

It's definitely a movie you don't want to miss.

4.8 out of 5 stars.