Red Eye [DVD]

Finally a Blu-ray release of this 85 minute gem of a thriller from Wes Craven.Anchored by the superb Rachel McAdams (the film would fail entirely without her convincing performance) and matched by Cillian Murphy it starts off briskly as Lisa, a young woman flying home on a red eye flight, meets suave passenger Jack. Minutes into the flight however, Jack reveals he is in fact part of a plot to assassinate a politician - and needs Lisa’s help to achieve his goal, or her father dies.Huge fun, deftly balancing the twists and turns of its gloriously implausible plot with enough plausible character work (which is the most fun combination in this kind of film) in the first two acts to quickly have you rooting for Lisa in her efforts to stop Jack from succeeding. The third act shifts the action a little to more familiar Wes Craven territory and loses a bit of steam in doing so, but the whole thing is just so entertaining it gets away with it.Disc 1 has the 4K copy of the film, disc 2 has the standard Blu-ray and extras. The film looks and sounds great and those extras include a mix of new material and stuff going back to the original DVD release many years ago. You get a couple of commentaries, interviews, featurettes etc.

A conscientious hotel Manager is taking a flight home and meets a charming stranger in the terminal. They part, but when boarding she finds the stranger is seated next to her. While initially pleased with the situation, she quickly finds out the whole situation has been planned and she is now in the middle of a terrorist plot, with her father's life threatened if she doesn't assist the man.I was very impressed with this film - great acting, excellent pacing and direction, a believable story and the initially trapped female lead turning the tables in the end. And when you think the film might end, it takes off again, ramping up the action another notch.Well made and great entertainment value.

For an hour, this is one of the tightest, edge of your seat thrillers ever made. Wes Craven takes his time setting up the characters of Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, their expectant meeting, and the set up on the plane.In fact, it fairly plods along, but in such an interesting way you won't mind. You're so interested in these characters, that the factthat the film doesn't really start until 30 minutes in is irrelevant - because when it gets good, it gets very good.Putting it simply, so not to spoil any new viewers, Murphy's character hold McAdams character hostage on the plane without anybody knowing. As she tries to alert people to her fate, her plans get ingeniously better, and its keep you guessing how she'll be able to escape.Murphy particularly is brilliant, all easy friendliness covering up a bonkers mad criminal. McAdams too is spot on as lady in peril. Half the fun is watching the events unfold on the plane, and how Murphy's character will stop them.However, come the ending, Craven resorts to his tried and tested slasher material. Although decent, it lacks the sinister edge of the previous hour, and becomes far moretraditional. The airport chase is absurd, and loses the film it's fifth star. How can you run unchecked through an airport without going through passport control or without the guards clocking on?Still, the finale in the house is jump worthy material, and makes up for the slightly soggy airport section. Different, fresh and exciting, this was a real surprise treat, and I would highly recommend it for some Friday night easy entertainment.

Very good thriller, it keeps you on the edge of the seat all way through.

Seldom have I enjoyed a film as much as this one. The story is straight foreward enough: A politician is to be assassinated. A young woman can arrange for him to be in the right place at the right time without causing suspicion. A young man has the job to convince her to do so. What makes the film work so well is the way it's set up. Lisa (Rachel McAdams) boards her delayed flight and finds she is seated beside the attractive young businessman Jackson (Cillian Murphy) with whom she has already had a drink in the airport bar. And just when you're ready for a romance to blossom between the two, he reveals himself as the devious criminal he really is and makes his demands, threatening her father will die if she doesn't do as she is told. What unfolds is a deadly game of cat and mouse between two desperate people, who look to all around them like a young couple having a minor quibble.The performances of the two leads are outstanding. Rachel McAdams finds just the right balance between fear and distress on the one hand and courage and intelligence on the other to make her character believable and relatable. Cillian Murphy is superb as the villain of the piece. So charming is he throughout that one can't help but root for him.The supporting cast is equally good. The minor characters are highly entertaining and add a welcome touch of quirky comedy. There is the serious 11 year old girl who manages to freak out Murphy's character, the nice old lady who travels in combat boots, the cougar who tries a little too hard to catch the eye of the attractive young villain who has to keep up appearances but can't afford to take his eyes off his hostage for one moment. Most fun of all is the complaining lady in the hotel who opens and closes the film, and who is played, apparently, by a marketing executive. Well, I hope somebody gave her more work in front of the camera, because she is pure comedic gold! She makes you walk away from this film with a chuckle. And that's never a bad thing.Full marks also for director Wes Craven who wasn't afraid to tighten the plot and be left with a rather shorter than average film of well under 90 minutes. Possibly this has something to do with the apparently all important 13 PG rating which may also have been a reason that scenes of gore and violence were either never filmed or ended up on the floor in the cutting room. The sparing use of blood and violence is more than made up for by moments of supreme suspense, expertly created by the master of horror Mr. Craven is.The DVD includes several extra features, among them a short making of featurette, a gag reel and a feature length commentary. Well worth owning, especially if you're a fan of either of the two leads.