The Eye

NEW YORK (CNS) -- "The Eye" (Lionsgate/Paramount Vantage), a reasonably effective suspense yarn set in Los Angeles, stars Jessica Alba as successful concert violinist Sydney Wells, who has been blind since an accident when she was 5 years old.

Though she's content as things are, her sister, Helen (Parker Posey), convinces her to have corrective surgery.

After receiving a double corneal transplant, which the doctors deem a success despite continued blurry vision, Sydney begins to envision harrowing scenes of devastation both in her apartment and elsewhere. Furthermore, she's constantly being surprised by distinctly unfriendly spectral spirits. She also comes to learn that she can see some horrible things before they actually happen.

Ultimately, she figures out there must be a connection between these visions and her anonymous eye donor. (The notion that implants might carry unintended side effects is eventually chalked up to the actual phenomenon known as "cellular memory.")

In any case, Sydney tries to convince her rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Paul Faulkner (Alessandro Nivola), that she's not hallucinating. She begs him to find out who the donor was, but he doesn't give her claims any credence and refuses to put his license at risk. Meanwhile, Helen and Sydney's conductor, Simon (Rade Serbedzija), are equally skeptical.

Of course, this is one of those films where all the other characters are infuriatingly slow in believing an increasingly panicky protagonist. When, for instance, a ghostly lady lunges at Sydney while she's lunching with Simon in a cafe, causing her to fall out of her chair, Simon coldly admonishes her to "get ahold of yourself."

So, too, Paul's and Helen's characters are drawn so sketchily -- and are so unsympathetic to Sydney's plight -- one assumes they're somehow complicit in the ghostly harassment. However, a spark of romance seems evident between Sydney and Paul when she puts her hands on his face to make a point, but it remains platonic.

A believable Alba makes a sympathetic heroine, and helps the audience accept the improbable happenings.

French co-directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud's remake (script by Sebastian Gutierrez) of a 2002 Taiwanese film -- well received by the U.S. bishops' Office for Film & Broadcasting, which classified it, like this one, A-III -- delivers the requisite scary jolts. Despite the intensity of some of them, the movie, flaws and all, is a welcome throwback to horror films devoid of sex and language concerns.

The film contains some brief and nongraphic but disturbing violent images including fires and explosions and a suicide flashback. It is acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops