Of all the fates that can await a remake of a recent movie, churning out a relatively faithful yet unremarkable effort might be among the most lacklustre. When the desire to recreate the source material with a dutiful eye is balanced with an absence of distinguishing elements, even when changes are made, one of the most problematic of questions arises: why bother? That’s the query that springs from Secret in Their Eyes, the English-language version of Academy Award-winning Argentinian feature The Secret in Their Eyes. Those familiar with its predecessor will find a workman-like reproduction relishing the trappings of its new setting and filled with Hollywood star power. Those approaching the crime film anew will uncover a generic offering that boasts a brooding atmosphere but little tension.
Either way, writer/director Billy Ray’s (Breach) retread remains in its precursor’s shadow as it follows its beats and twists — and remains cloaked in murkiness elsewhere. Charting a traumatic event and the personal repercussions upon those usually on the right side of the legal divide, it delves into the darkness of grief, righteousness and retribution, as pointedly played out in post-9/11 America. The staple threads of many a crime offering are stretched as far as the boundaries of law and order, though never into fresh territory; the use of the war on terror clumsily heightens suspicions but not suspense. Indeed, even placed within such a purposeful background, the boilerplate tale unravels in routine fashion in both the feature’s narrative and its visuals, the latter favouring the grit and gloom the former is immersed in.
That bleakness also haunts Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Martian), who was part of a Los Angeles-based counter-terrorism unit 13 years earlier. While investigating a mosque, his squad was rocked by the discovery of a body of a teenage girl — and the subsequent revelation that it belonged to the daughter of fellow detective Jess (Julia Roberts, August: Osage County). Then, Ray was compelled to chase the primary suspect (Joe Cole, The Falling), earning the ire of his District Attorney boss (Alfred Molina, Show Me a Hero), as well as the quiet assistance of ambitious newcomer Claire (Nicole Kidman, Queen of the Desert). Now, after decades of searching, he’s adamant he’s found the perpetrator and can put the case to rest.
As Secret in Their Eyes pieces together both timeframes, using the modern developments to jump into the past, it does so with an air of mystery — or so it intends. Alas, the chasm between genuinely teasing out the film’s plot and simply sustaining and elongating its premise is considerable. Ray is an accomplished scribe and helmer, as his directorial debut Shattered Glass and his writing credits on The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips demonstrate; however in his third effort as a filmmaker, his energies are invested in maintaining a moody status quo. Whether the movie is racing through chase scenes or peering over shoulders at computer screens, it rarely ventures beyond the confines of the thriller template, remake or not.
Instead, what serves the feature best are its high-profile players, notably Roberts looking and acting the wearied part of a FBI agent turned mourning mother, and Ejiofor as the earnest, tireless proponent of justice. Both roles have their limits, though their performers exceed them; to say that much lurks in their respective gazes might be obvious, yet it also proves accurate. As the third figure in their trio, Kidman adds polish, but remains equally distanced from the film’s emotion and from her co-stars. Hers is a standard portrayal in an effort that proves the same in everything from its subtle tweaking of its origins to its shoehorning-in of context to its shaded visuals — and while standard isn’t the worst thing a remake can be, it’s also not the aimed-for outcome.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Secret in Their Eyes
Director: Billy Ray
USA, 2015, 111 mins
Release date: November 19
Distributor: Roadshow
Rated: M
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