Confusing Crime
FBI investigators Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Jess (Julia Roberts) and their district attorney supervisor (Nicole Kidman) are reunited 13 years after the murder of Jess’ daughter when Ray thinks he has a new lead that could solve the case. The trailer is intriguing, but the plot seems muddled. Secret In Their Eyes opens in wide release Nov. 20.
‘SECRET IN THEIR EYES’ TRAILER REVIEW
PAIGE: This trailer is the definition of “well, that escalated quickly.” Quirky office rom-com? No, it’s a brutal serial killer hunt followed by frustration with the public justice system that jumps into a revenge quest!
NICOLE: Oooh, serial killer (potentially) murder mystery. This is one of my favorite things EVER. I know that in the beginning they’re all sad and crying, but the entire time I’m just like, “Let’s get on with it.
Where’s the blood? Where’s the stab wounds? Where’s the gouged-out eyes?”
CHRISTINA: It does appear that this has very little gore for a crime film. I’m OK with that. What I like so much about crime shows, anyway, is the pursuit of the bad guy and the process of tracking them down — and it seems that this movie is all about that.
PAIGE: I tried googling this film immediately after watching this trailer (because I am that impatient) and learned it was based off an Oscar-winning Argentine film (which is based off a book), and also that it’s going to get crazy if it follows that template.
JAIMIE: I’m kind of more interested to read the book first, at least. Ninety percent of the time, books are better than their film counterparts and this story looks complex and detailed where I think reading everything would better suit the story. The trailer is a little confusing as far as clearly indicating what the plot of the movie is, and it sort of lost me after that time jump.
CHRISTINA: The time jump was a little confusing — perhaps because all three of the actors looked pretty much exactly the same and they made very little effort to age them. They cut Nicole Kidman’s hair and were like, “OK, it’s been 13 years now.”
PAIGE: It’s been a while since I saw Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman in anything. They were swallowed up by Jessica Chastain mercilessly taking on every single role available for a competent middle-aged woman in Hollywood, I guess.
CHRISTINA: It was pretty sad to see Julia Roberts in the dumpster holding her daughter — and that is knowing nothing about the character while watching the trailer, so I am pretty sure I would be crying in the theater.
PAIGE: Ha, my first thought when she jumped in that dumpster was, “Ah, so here’s Julia Roberts gunning for that Oscar with her tears and gross haircut and de-glamorized appearance.”
NICOLE: My first thought was “gross.”
