{"id":1004,"date":"2011-05-19T11:39:08","date_gmt":"2011-05-19T11:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1004"},"modified":"2011-05-19T11:39:09","modified_gmt":"2011-05-19T11:39:09","slug":"julias-eyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/thriller\/julias-eyes\/","title":{"rendered":"Julia’s Eyes ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Writer\/director director Guillem Morales<\/a> has a great talent for horror that fantasy-horror maestro and co-producer of this film, Guillermo del Toro<\/a> has recognised. Morales is certainly welcomed into the del Toro fold, here, as he comes on board to direct del Toro\u2019s The Orphanage<\/em><\/a> leading lady, the mesmerising Bel\u00e9n Rueda<\/a>, in this richly layered, beautifully-shot, and terrifyingly effective psychological thriller.<\/p>\n

One of the many films that premiered at 2010\u2019s Toronto International Film Festival, Julia\u2019s Eyes<\/em><\/a> tells the story of a woman, Julia (Rueda), with a degenerative optical illness who believes her dead twin sister \u2013 who suffered from the same condition \u2013 met an untimely end. Against her worried husband, Isaac\u2019s (Llu\u00eds Homar<\/a>) wishes, she continues to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding her sister\u2019s death, having to deal with some ugly truths and her own grief and failing health at the same time.<\/p>\n

Morales keeps his framing tight, heavily shadow-laden and claustrophobic to escalate the fear of what\u2019s in the dark and losing your sight. \u00d3scar Faura<\/a>\u2019s stunning cinematography \u2013 with its blue palette for the scarier scenes that looks like a del Toro signature \u2013 almost plays with your own vision at times, and serves as a visual double entendre in terms of Julia\u2019s failing eyesight, but also her failing clarity over what really happened to her sister.<\/p>\n

Morales keeps a sinister, otherworldly presence flowing for the first part of the film, as though the sister was killed by something supernatural, lurking in the shadows. It\u2019s a powerful concept that increases the tension, and gives you an understanding of the madness that Julia is spiralling into. The end of the film plays out like any other creepy thriller, but still, when the identity of the real killer is revealed, Morales still keeps him \u2018decapitated\u2019, until the very end. There\u2019s also a terrifying knife scene, vaguely reminiscent of Luis Bu\u00f1uel<\/a>\u2019s Un Chien Andalou<\/em><\/a>, and equally gasp inducing \u2013\u00a0even if you didn\u2019t know the sequence was filmed for real with no post-production effects in play.<\/p>\n

Rueda is always a sheer joy to watch, a pure Hitchcockian heroine in this, an enticing combination of beauty (including eye-popping bosom), determination, strength and fragility. As Julia is our eyes on this frightening journey, Rueda expertly translates her inquisitiveness, fear and madness, and her survival instincts, when faced with a \u2018fight or flight\u2019 situation. We are never quite sure how well Julia can see at any given moment, too, which adds to the film\u2019s whole disorientation. The pacing of the film is brilliantly established to allow for a teasing slow burn of revelations that\u2019s emphasised by the patience with which Morales maps out proceedings.<\/p>\n

Although necessary, as motive is always required in the end to tie up lose ends, the killer ventures into a tirade of society\u2019s pitfalls and social issues that weaken our apprehension of him. But Morales does offer up a couple more twists straight-afterwards to have us doubting the killer\u2019s rationale and his mortality.<\/p>\n

Like del Toro, Morales is a fan of video games, claiming that he was influenced by Silent Hill<\/em> when co-writing this film with Oriol Paulo<\/a>. Indeed, less graphic and bloodthirsty, Julia\u2019s Eyes<\/em> has the same aesthetic look, fear of the dark (inky-black corridors and tunnels) and voyeuristic\/fear-of-being-watched nature as the latter, with a relentless presence following its next prey. Julia\u2019s goal is to survive the \u2018invisible man\u2019, like the game player\u2019s, making Julia’s Eyes<\/em> a worthy and sumptuous combination of contemporary gaming thrills and nostalgic classic horror to watch.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n


\n
\n