'Red Eye' Flight: Aisle Seat, Window Seat or Terrorist?

The 2005 thriller Red Eye, starring Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, has a narrow premise: The guy sitting next to a hotel manager on an overnight flight turns out to be a terrorist who blackmails her into helping facilitate a politician's assassination.

I enjoy films that are set up in a way that makes you wonder how they can possibly tell a story. Most of the film takes place between two characters in one aisle of a plane, and it isn't easy for Murphy to menace the poor woman in between drink orders and the arrival of his complimentary peanuts.

I've never seen these actors before, but McAdams is really good as the plucky manager putting her degree in hotel and motel management to the test. By the end she's become something rare in movies: a heroine who doesn't need anybody to save her. In fact, during a climactic physical confrontation with Murphy, she's so badass you start to worry about his safety instead of hers.

Without giving away too much of the ending, I didn't know that a high-heeled shoe could do that.

Movies · 2006/10/31 · 8 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

I only recently became aware of McAdams when my wife and I watched the sweet, romantic, tear-jerker, The Notebook this past weekend. She did an excellent job in that film, and I look forward to her future work. I probably won't bother to go back and see her previous stuff (Mean Girls).

Thanks for the tip, rcade.

#1 · scully · 2006/10/31

McAdams was good. The rest were only so/so..

#2 · Ames Tiedeman · 2006/10/31

Cillian Murphy starred in the zombie-noir movie, 28 Days Later, with longer hair and a beard. He did as well as anyone could have done with the anemic part. I haven't seen Red Eye, but I have trouble picturing Murphy, sans beard, being credible as a terrorist, what with those bee-stung Angelina Jolie lips.

McAdams has great cheek bones, too, and she looks like she's got real moxie--all wound-up like a spring.

#3 · Old Possum · 2006/10/31

Cillian Murphy also starred in Batman Begins as the psychiatrist/villain.

#4 · Allan · 2006/11/01

... I have trouble picturing Murphy, sans beard, being credible as a terrorist, what with those bee-stung Angelina Jolie lips.

He's properly menacing in close-up, but when he has to menace from a distance during a chase scene and the climactic fight, you know he's in serious physical trouble and should have called in reinforcements.

#5 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2006/11/01

I thought Murphy was pretty good in the oddball Irish film Intermission, but I'm pretty sure my 11-month-old daughter could beat him up.

#6 · Uncle Mikey · 2006/11/01

Hey, Scully: do check out "Mean Girls." It is FUN-NY. And snide. And insightful. Tina Fey (apologies for spelling) did a great job with it.

And, yeah, poor Mr. Murphy does get pounded, doesn't he...? Heh! What comes of being one hundred and twenty pounds of PURE FURY....

#7 · Punctuator · 2006/11/02

Murphy is the mannnn!

#8 · breezy · 2007/08/14