by Yazmin Ghonaim

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Stephan Elliot (1999) Eye of the Beholder, directed by Stephan Elliot, is a film which explores the obsession of a private eye who falls in love with the murderer he is investigating. Eye of the Beholder focuses on the visual representations of the protagonist's state of mind as he progressively becomes attached, both psychologically and emotionally, to his dangerous but beautiful subject. A lonely British intelligence agent, "The Eye" (Ewan McGregor) is haunted by the loss of his daughter. In what seems to promise a distraction away from his solitude, The Eye's current mission to track down Joanna Eris (Ashley Judd), suspected of blackmailing the son of a British official, redefines, rather, his role as voyeur. After he unexpectedly witnesses the suspect's first cold-blooded murder, The Eye becomes increasingly involved. Every evidence she leaves behind, he collects; everywhere she goes, he follows. The availability of hi-tech tools and his carefully measured proximity to the well-disguised criminal offers The Eye the privileged position of observer. However, in spite of the cautioning by a worried coworker (k. d. Lang), The Eye loses sight of the dangers: his initial sense of horror dissolves and his long-repressed paternalistic instincts absorb him wholeheartedly. Eye of the Beholder attempts to interweave the psychosis of its two main characters by establishing the causes of their anguish. While The Eye struggles with the guilt that came with losing a wife and daughter, Joanna is blinded by the fears that originated long ago, when she was abandoned by her father. However, although Eye of the Beholder successfully establishes its characters' actions (killing and pursuing the killer), the film fails to fully develop the premise that both characters complement each other. Furthermore, in spite of the careful visualization of the mechanics of these characters' worlds, Eye of the Beholder does little to convincingly support the subjects' reasons for inhabiting them.		DVD Music Books Search by keywords:
Outstanding Features: Production Design Eye of the Beholder Movie Review © 2000 Cinephiles - All rights reserved Photo © 1999 Destination Films