Rating of
3.5/4
Terror in the Air
Andrew - wrote on 05/18/12
An airplane can be a very unpleasant place to be, especially if a terrorist hell bent on assassinating a government official is sitting next to you. This form of sheer terror is what hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) has to deal with when she is flying to Miami after attending her grandmother's funeral in Texas. Seated next to her is Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) a terrorist for hire who wants Lisa to move one of her hotel's VIPs (the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security) to another room so that he can be assassinated. If Lisa does not comply with Rippner's demands, he will dispatch a hitman to kill her father (Brian Cox). Further complicating the matter is that the deputy secretary's family will also be staying at the hotel and they will all be killed if the attack succeeds. From start to finish Red Eye is heart-pounding.
Wes Craven is clearly at home with this one. He conveys a very real since of terror, tapping into the fear of flying and terrorism all in one. The claustrophobia of an airplane cabin is an excellent setting for a modern thriller. Craven is also able to incorporate the stalking aspect featured in many of his films as the final act plays out in Lisa's father's home. Craven clearly shows that he can make an effective thriller without the use of graphic slasher violence, something that he is known for.
The two leads in this film are superb. Rachel McAdams is extremely convincing in her role as the unwitting pawn in at terrorist conspiracy. Cillian Murphy is able to convey the innate charm and cool that many villains have while also showing his extreme ruthlessness. As a pair the two are devastating and make for one fantastic thriller. Perhaps my only complaint is that the film runs a little short. More background information on the terrorists and perhaps a depiction of their plans for the assassination could have given the film a more complete story, but the film stands up pretty well regardless.
