ML's Worth a Watch: Secret in Their Eyes

Last week I went to the movies for the first time in months. It was a nice night out and I saw a movie I hadn't heard of before until that day: Secret in Their Eyes. Below is my review:

 

 

Title: Secret in Their Eyes
Director: Billy Ray
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Released: November 20 2015
Rating: 14A
Staring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts

Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games), and produced by Academy Award® winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, “Breaking Bad”), Secret In Their Eyes is an intense, powerful, haunting thriller starring Academy Award® nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Academy Award® winners Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. A tight-knit team of rising FBI investigators – Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Jess (Julia Roberts), along with their District Attorney supervisor Claire (Nicole Kidman) – is suddenly torn apart when they discover that Jess’s teenage daughter has been brutally and inexplicably murdered. Now, thirteen years later, after obsessively searching every day for the elusive killer, Ray finally uncovers a new lead that he’s certain can permanently resolve the case, nail the vicious murderer, and bring long-desired closure to his team. No one is prepared, however, for the shocking, unspeakable secret that will reveal the enduring, destructive effects of personal vengeance on the human soul. Interweaving past and present, this deeply layered mystery explores the murky boundaries between justice and revenge, and asks the question: how far would you go to right an unfathomable wrong?

Source: Cineplex

Secret in Their Eyes was a gripping mystery that offered twists right to the end. Although this tells the story of catching the man who murdered a young woman, there are also brief aspects of American politics after the attacks of September 11th. I found that there were parts of this movie that lacked some description, most specifically regarding the development of the friendship between Ray and Jess. The details regarding why the murder took place also felt skimmed over. However at just under two hours, this movie did feel quite long. Secret in Their Eyes had a great cast, but none shone more than Julia Roberts. Her role as a grieving mother was portrayed with so much passion. Jess's mental and physical transformation after the death of her daughter was so believable.

I would recommend this movie to fans of Mystery/Thrillers.