Wednesday 6 February 2013

Angel eyes movie trailer

Officer Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez) has looked death in the eyes and doesn't like what she sees. A tough, Chicago cop with a troubled past is forced to look again at her relationships after she faces a near death experience. Two street thugs are gunning for police officers in an act of revenge when Pogue is caught off guard and nearly killed. Only the intervention of a strange man, who goes only by the name of "Catch" (James Caviezel), allows her to walk away unharmed. What happens next is a relationship that deepens throughout the movie as both troubled souls struggle to reconcile pasts that they would sooner forget. This is a tale of romance and discovery with abounding plot twists and a somewhat realistic ending. A surprisingly enjoyable movie with a storyline sure to hold the attention of those willing to involve themselves in the lives of these emotionally scarred characters.

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Angel Eye movie cast and crew


Directed by
Luis Mandoki




Jennifer Lopez

Jim Caviezel

Jeremy Sisto

Terrence Howard

Sonia Braga

Victor Argo

Monet Mazur

Shirley Knight

Daniel Magder

Guylaine St-Onge

Connor McAuley

Jeremy Ratchford

Angel Eyes movie overview


Officer Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez) has looked death in the eyes and doesn't like what she sees. A tough, Chicago cop with a troubled past is forced to look again at her relationships after she faces a near death experience. Two street thugs are gunning for police officers in an act of revenge when Pogue is caught off guard and nearly killed. Only the intervention of a strange man, who goes only by the name of "Catch" (James Caviezel), allows her to walk away unharmed. What happens next is a relationship that deepens throughout the movie as both troubled souls struggle to reconcile pasts that they would sooner forget. This is a tale of romance and discovery with abounding plot twists and a somewhat realistic ending. A surprisingly enjoyable movie with a storyline sure to hold the attention of those willing to involve themselves in the lives of these emotionally scarred characters.



The plot in this movie was terrific. This is truly a film for adults about people with life issues. Jennifer Lopez and James Caviezel depict two very believable people with real life struggles. It's not often that Hollywood can portray people in turmoil without either being shallow or going overboard. But this movie tends to have a good balance of conflict while still letting the characters be fun and have lives outside of whatever it is they are dealing with. It is a realistic depiction of the way people have to juggle life in order to handle pain. As the plot twists and the characters develop you are drawn in to their feelings, both the pain of their past and the excitement of their new found, if somewhat unexpected, and at times rocky, relationship. You sat wondering what the next scene would reveal about lives and people who come into contact with the major figures of the movie. It is impressive the way "Angel Eyes" reveals the struggle but doesn't necessarily have to solve all the problems (another normal Hollywood drawback). These two are allowed to exist in their situations without being overly glorified or condemned to lives of never ending despair. They are people living life, and that's all. Character development makes this picture what it is.

The actors themselves also did a great job. I'll have to be honest, I'm not usually a big Jennifer Lopez fan, but she did good here. Partnered with James Caviezel her character seemed more believable. Both played their roles well and tended to complement each other. Lopez is a fiery cop and her acting style tends to be a person on the move while Caviezel is subtler with most of his character being portrayed in his eyes or expressions. It was fascinating to watch the two combine on screen.



I had a hard time believing in the "tough cop" routine that Lopez tried to pull off at the beginning of the movie. She seemed somewhat out of place in the role at first, almost being too rough or mean spirited. As the movie unfolded you began to see the need for a tough image but I still think it may have been overplayed a bit.

The movie has a tendency to drag somewhat. There are a couple of scenes that I was wishing for a fast forward option, but then again I've never been one to want to sit around and watch two people make calf eyes at each other. I also don't care to watch them dance around the floor holding to each other as slow music plays in the background (Am I unromantic?!). This is probably a good date movie because of those scenes, but I was never one for date movies either.

Angel Eyes movie review



I was fooled - I'll admit that upfront. I believed the advance hype I read about the film and thought there was a supernatural element involved. Half an hour into the film I realized my mistake. There wasn't anything supernatural about "Angel Eyes," clearly it was more of a science fiction story. Jim Caviezel's character, Catch, was obviously sent to Earth from a distant planet. He was a pod person, here to infiltrate the Chicago Police Department by corrupting the intelligent, independent Sergeant Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez aka J-Lo). What other explanation could there be for an otherwise responsible, logical person to fall in love so quickly with a man who wouldn't disclose his name, his past, or why he chooses to always dress in a trench coat and t-shirts? Why would a perfectly normal, healthy woman - who also happens to be a cop - throw caution to the wind and overlook even the basic disclosure of a real name? It had to be some form of mind-control practiced by aliens bent on mating with earthlings. Or, as it turns out, it had to be love. A concept that upon listening to these two, seems as strange as alien possession.

Sgt. Sharon Pogue is a tough beat cop. We learn early on that her family life is nothing to smile about. Seems the men in her family like to abuse their women, a trait that has created an estrangement between Sharon and her dad, and eventually from her only brother. Her co-workers treat her like one of the guys and she seems content with that. She's lacking a personal life, though not from trying. She hates having to answer all the standard date questions about her work. Her dates never ask her what it's like to help someone in need; all they ever want to know about is whether she's had to use her gun. She'd much rather be on the job than making small talk.

Through flashbacks, and a series of shots of Catch helping people throughout the city, we're told that Catch is a strange dude who walks the city alone, keeping an eye on Sharon and doing good deeds for complete strangers. We also learn that Sharon has vivid memories of helping a car accident victim. How the two go together isn't explained at first, but you just know from the importance placed on the flashbacks that there is some significant connection.

While catching a quick bite at a local eatery, Sharon and a group of her fellow officers are targets of a driveby shooting. Officers are wounded and it's up to Sharon and her partner, Robby (Terrence Howard), to bring down the perps. No slouch in the fighting and chasing department, Sharon pursues one of the assailants as her partner stops to handcuff the other. Taking off without her partner isn't a wise move. She's left to pursue the armed suspect into an area with lots of hiding spaces. Sharon chases him down but ends up on the losing end of a physical altercation, shot twice in the chest but saved by her bulletproof vest. Pinned to the ground, looking into the barrel of a gun, Sharon is all but dead until Catch appears out of nowhere. He attacks the gunmen, knocking the gun away, and holding him down until Sharon's partner is able to take over.



Catch is dark, mysterious, and apparently, Sharon's guardian angel. How else to explain his appearance at that exact moment, at that location? As a thank you, Sharon invites Catch to meet her for a drink after work. He shows up, quiet, somber and with a smile that could melt the coldest heart. Sharon can't get much info from him other than the name Catch, and that he helped her because he appreciates officers and their work at making the streets safe. Catch's first conversations with Sharon come off as strained, awkward, and reserved. He doesn't want to disclose anything personal, preferring to start from scratch - as though he had no life up until the moment they met. Catch acts almost as though he's never spoken to another human being, or had much personal contact with members of the opposite sex (their conversations are so surface level and stilted that the assumption that he's an alien isn't really that bizarre). The two have an instant connection, an almost tangible bond that takes Sharon by surprise. Catch has saved her life, and beyond being grateful, she's attracted both emotionally and physically to her savior.

Too much more info and I'd be giving away the entire story. Suffice it to say that Catch and Sharon are two lonely, complicated people in need of what the other has to offer. "Angel Eyes" turned out to be different than I expected, but that's not a bad thing. The love story is central to the entire movie without being too cloying or sappy. Two different actors may have taken this movie to other levels, but I felt Jennifer Lopez has never been better cast in a film. Jim Caviezel's performance is understated, perfectly capturing Catch's obvious pain and longing. Lopez and Caviezel have a wonderful on-screen chemistry that was surprising in its intensity. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a must-see for romance fans, however it never disappointed me and it kept my interest for the entire film.