Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Secret in Their Eyes dumbs down another foreign film

Who talks like this?

Secret in Their Eyes: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Roberts have got a secret.
Secret in Their Eyes: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Roberts have got a secret.
Movie

Secret in Their Eyes *

thumbnail

It’s no secret that <em>Secret in Their Eyes</em> is an English-language remake of <a href="/movies/secret-their-eyes-2009/">2010’s Best Foreign Film Oscar of the same name</a>. Like it’s namesake, <em>Secret</em> relies on a series of intricate flashbacks, the narrative constantly, often confusingly jumping between 2002 and 2015 with 9/11 an obvious substitute for Argentina’s “dirty war.” The trailer fans the aroma of <em><a href="/movies/death-wish/">Death Wish</a></em>: regret commenced on the realization that <a href="/movies/archives/?q=julia+roberts">Julia Roberts</a> wasn’t going to go full-vigilante in her quest to take out the trash that brutalized her baby girl. It might have made for a better picture seeing how Roberts and Joe Cole as the killer/persuasively scuzzy aggressor are the film’s two acting highlights. Those expecting miracles from the generally forcible <a href="/movies/archives/?q=chiwetel">Chiwetel Ejiofor</a> (<em>Red Belt, 12 Years a Slave</a></em>) will soon discover he never should have copped to a thriller. Writer-director <a href="/movies/archives/?q=billy+ray">Billy Ray</a> (<em>The Hunger Games</em>) buys into the notion that audiences are unable to grasp even the slightest nuance.

Find showtimes

It’s no secret that Secret in Their Eyes is an English-language remake of Juan José Campanella’s far superior Argentinian thriller (and winner of 2010’s Best Foreign Film Oscar) of the same name. Frankly, we wouldn’t be having this discussion were it not for xenophobic Yanks too lazy to work a little for their entertainment by reading subtitles.

A team of FBI agents arrives on the scene to investigate a report that a battered, burned, and bleached corpse was found at the bottom of a trash bin. Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) breaks from the pack and is the first to approach the dumpster. No sooner does he eyeball its contents than his expression flip-flops from seen-it-all steadiness to sobbing disbelief.

Staggering toward Jess (Julia Roberts), Ray collects himself long enough to make eye contact with his partner and whimper, “It’s Carolyn...it’s your daughter.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

As opposed to Carolyn her acupuncturist or dog-groomer? If Jess did indeed have a daughter named Carolyn, why the need to blatantly spell out their blood relation? Other than movie characters with a plot to advance, who talks like this? Even if the scene ended without knowing the victim’s kinship — a subsequent photo of mother and daughter in Roberts’s apartment would have done the trick — it’s clear from her reaction that she and the victim were extremely close.

Video:

Secret in Their Eyes

Could it be writer-director Billy Ray doesn’t have the slightest bit of faith in an audience’s ability to grasp even the slightest nuance?

As evidenced in his last three projects, screenwriter Ray is an old stager when it comes to that time-honored tradition of dumbing-down foreign films for the American market. He had a hand in bringing the British television series State of Play to a multiplex near you; The Hunger Games is little more than an uncredited ripoff of Kinji Fukasaku’s fun-filled Battle Royale; and everything one needed to know about Captain Phillips was rigorously covered in Tobias Lindholm’s A Hijacking.

Like its namesake, Secret relies on a series of intricate flashbacks, the narrative constantly, often confusingly, jumping between 2002 and 2015, with 9/11 an obvious substitute for Argentina’s “dirty war.” The trailer fans the aroma of Death Wish, but my regret commenced with the realization that Roberts wasn’t going to go full-vigilante in her quest to take out the trash that brutalized her baby girl. It might have made for a better picture, seeing how Roberts and Joe Cole — as the killer/persuasively scuzzy aggressor — are the film’s two acting highlights. Those expecting miracles from the generally forcible Ejiofor (Redbelt, 12 Years a Slave) will soon discover he never should have copped to a thriller.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Hollywood was in the habit of releasing both dubbed and subtitled versions of foreign films. (Bergman’s Cries and Whispers never sounded better!) Here’s a tip on how to spare Hollywood millions in production costs. Next time, save money by releasing an alternate dubbed version. Trust me, 90 percent of the clientele would never know the difference.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Yo-Yo Ma, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky come to San Diego

Next Article

Pet pig perches in pocket

Escondido doula gets a taste of celebrity
Secret in Their Eyes: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Roberts have got a secret.
Secret in Their Eyes: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Julia Roberts have got a secret.
Movie

Secret in Their Eyes *

thumbnail

It’s no secret that <em>Secret in Their Eyes</em> is an English-language remake of <a href="/movies/secret-their-eyes-2009/">2010’s Best Foreign Film Oscar of the same name</a>. Like it’s namesake, <em>Secret</em> relies on a series of intricate flashbacks, the narrative constantly, often confusingly jumping between 2002 and 2015 with 9/11 an obvious substitute for Argentina’s “dirty war.” The trailer fans the aroma of <em><a href="/movies/death-wish/">Death Wish</a></em>: regret commenced on the realization that <a href="/movies/archives/?q=julia+roberts">Julia Roberts</a> wasn’t going to go full-vigilante in her quest to take out the trash that brutalized her baby girl. It might have made for a better picture seeing how Roberts and Joe Cole as the killer/persuasively scuzzy aggressor are the film’s two acting highlights. Those expecting miracles from the generally forcible <a href="/movies/archives/?q=chiwetel">Chiwetel Ejiofor</a> (<em>Red Belt, 12 Years a Slave</a></em>) will soon discover he never should have copped to a thriller. Writer-director <a href="/movies/archives/?q=billy+ray">Billy Ray</a> (<em>The Hunger Games</em>) buys into the notion that audiences are unable to grasp even the slightest nuance.

Find showtimes

It’s no secret that Secret in Their Eyes is an English-language remake of Juan José Campanella’s far superior Argentinian thriller (and winner of 2010’s Best Foreign Film Oscar) of the same name. Frankly, we wouldn’t be having this discussion were it not for xenophobic Yanks too lazy to work a little for their entertainment by reading subtitles.

A team of FBI agents arrives on the scene to investigate a report that a battered, burned, and bleached corpse was found at the bottom of a trash bin. Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) breaks from the pack and is the first to approach the dumpster. No sooner does he eyeball its contents than his expression flip-flops from seen-it-all steadiness to sobbing disbelief.

Staggering toward Jess (Julia Roberts), Ray collects himself long enough to make eye contact with his partner and whimper, “It’s Carolyn...it’s your daughter.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

As opposed to Carolyn her acupuncturist or dog-groomer? If Jess did indeed have a daughter named Carolyn, why the need to blatantly spell out their blood relation? Other than movie characters with a plot to advance, who talks like this? Even if the scene ended without knowing the victim’s kinship — a subsequent photo of mother and daughter in Roberts’s apartment would have done the trick — it’s clear from her reaction that she and the victim were extremely close.

Video:

Secret in Their Eyes

Could it be writer-director Billy Ray doesn’t have the slightest bit of faith in an audience’s ability to grasp even the slightest nuance?

As evidenced in his last three projects, screenwriter Ray is an old stager when it comes to that time-honored tradition of dumbing-down foreign films for the American market. He had a hand in bringing the British television series State of Play to a multiplex near you; The Hunger Games is little more than an uncredited ripoff of Kinji Fukasaku’s fun-filled Battle Royale; and everything one needed to know about Captain Phillips was rigorously covered in Tobias Lindholm’s A Hijacking.

Like its namesake, Secret relies on a series of intricate flashbacks, the narrative constantly, often confusingly, jumping between 2002 and 2015, with 9/11 an obvious substitute for Argentina’s “dirty war.” The trailer fans the aroma of Death Wish, but my regret commenced with the realization that Roberts wasn’t going to go full-vigilante in her quest to take out the trash that brutalized her baby girl. It might have made for a better picture, seeing how Roberts and Joe Cole — as the killer/persuasively scuzzy aggressor — are the film’s two acting highlights. Those expecting miracles from the generally forcible Ejiofor (Redbelt, 12 Years a Slave) will soon discover he never should have copped to a thriller.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Hollywood was in the habit of releasing both dubbed and subtitled versions of foreign films. (Bergman’s Cries and Whispers never sounded better!) Here’s a tip on how to spare Hollywood millions in production costs. Next time, save money by releasing an alternate dubbed version. Trust me, 90 percent of the clientele would never know the difference.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

India Hawthorne is common in coastal gardens, Citrus trees are in full bloom

The vernal equinox is on March 19
Next Article

Tiny Home Central isn’t solving the San Diego housing crisis

But it does hope to help fill in the gaps
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.