What with its cryptic storytelling, otherworldly pacing and doe-eyed little boys, Luis Mandoki’s Angel Eyes could pass for a lost M. Night Shyamalan film. The B-movie opening has Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez), a Chicago police officer, overseeing a brutal car accident. A year later, when the mysterious Catch (Jim Caviezel) appears wandering Chicago staring into people’s souls, Sharon’s still on the police beat, and amid gunfire, they meet-cute and soon start going out. Mandoki and screenwriter Gerald Di Pego are careful about preserving whatever it is the story has up its sleeve, and as such Angel Eyes can border on the cagey, mostly when the focus shifts away from Catch and Sharon sucking face and onto Catch’s mysterious abilities. Late cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski, best known for his stunning work on Kieślowski’s Red, drenches the grief-stricken world of the film’s main characters in vivid colors, and since Catch gets all the mellow blues, his scenes sometimes feel like deleted sequences from Shyamalan’s Unbreakable. Marco Beltrami’s score is criminal but the overall effect of the film is sometimes exquisite as Catch and Sharon’s relationship is given the feel of a supernatural encounter. The film keeps you guessing without making you feel teased.
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.
