Secret in Their Eyes

Secret in Their Eyes

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Alfred Molina

Directed by Billy Ray

The Story:
In 2002, at the height of terrorism fears, FBI counter terrorism investigator Ray Karsten (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and district attorney's investigator Jess Cobb (Julia Roberts) are investigating a mosque in Los Angeles that could harbor terrorists, under the instruction of assistant District Attorney Claire Sloan (Nicole Kidman) and District Attorney Martin Morales (Alfred Molina).

One day they investigate a murdered woman whose body was found in a Dumpster by the mosque.  Ray discovers the victim is Jess's only daughter, which sends Jess into a grief-induced downward tailspin.  Ray feels partially responsible for Jess's daughter's death, so he delves full force into the investigation, to the dismay of Morales and Sloan.

Ray uncovers the culprit, but it's not as easy as it seems.  The killer is an informant for the counter terrorism task force, someone on the inside who provides valuable information regarding possible terror cells.  Due to this fact, the man is untouchable, which infuriates Ray and Jess, and they contemplate taking personal action.

Thirteen years later, Ray returns to Los Angeles with news that he might've found out where the killer is now living, after searching through over 600,000 police photographs.  He re-starts the investigation only to uncover a terrible truth that was hiding in plain sight, hiding behind the secret in their eyes.

The Synopsis:
At the 82nd Academy Awards, Argentinean director Juan Jose Campanella won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film for "The Secret in Their Eyes."  In 2015, American director Billy Ray decided to remake the film for American audiences, and in doing so changed the overall concept of the film.

In the original, the victim had no relation to the main characters, but in the remake, the victim was the daughter of Jess Cobb.  This added a more personal touch to the film and, in my opinion, made it more intimate and daunting. 

The film time jumps between 2002 and 2015, and the only noticeable difference is the greying in Ray's beard.  Sometimes time jumps can work, and sometimes they cannot.  While it wasn't done inasmuch a way as to make the film seem confusing, it didn't really seem necessary either.


Still, even that couldn't save the film from having a "Law & Order" feel to it.

The film is fairly straightforward with its premise.  We have a victim.  We have the killer.  We just don't have the closure needed due to bureaucratic red tape and politics.  This shows the dark underbelly of justice, where someone can get away with murder because they have information that could possibly prevent mass murder.  Think of it as the old adage: if you could kill one person to save millions, would it be acceptable? 

While there's an esoteric feel to the film, the overall acting caliber seemed off kilter.  When you have Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") and Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman ("The Hours") and Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovich"), you'd expect something more than what you got.  As I said, it felt like an elongated "Law & Order" episode.  I was just waiting to hear the classic theme music.

That's not to say all the acting was bad.  Julia Roberts threw herself into this role, foregoing the Hollywood glamour and taking on the role of a woman riddled with despair and sadness that you can see not just in her physical appearance, but also deep inside.  She seeks vengeance, but knows that death is too good for her daughter's killer.  She desires justice, but it's continually taken from her.  If the film focused on her instead of Ejiofor's Ray, it would've been a completely different entity, and Roberts would be sitting with another Oscar nomination.  She also gave the most chill-inducing lines in the entire film:
"He can quit his job, he can change his name, he can dump his car, but I will still find him."
"Justice...I owe my daughter that."
"My daughter was the thing that made me, me.  Nothing will ever change that."

As it were, the film focused more on the oddly stubborn Ray, who spent thirteen years pouring over hundreds of thousands of images, as well as almost costing himself his job as he relentlessly pursued the killer.  His reasoning is admirable, but at times it seemed too much.  On the other end of the spectrum, there was the completely off-putting relationship between Ray and Claire.  Claire is an engaged woman, but Ray is infatuated with her, and she doesn't seem to mind, but the chemistry between them is as dead as those frogs you used to dissect in high school.  I didn't understand why they included that subplot, especially since they spent most of their time talking about their "non-relationship" as a relationship.

In the end, "Secret in Their Eyes" could've been something great if it focused on the right person, but ultimately fell flat due to centering on the wrong person.

The Summary:
If you want to see a plot somewhat close to this, watch old seasons of "Law & Order" and I'm sure you'll find something similar.

The Score: B