Wes Craven's psychological thriller Red Eye may be a bit of a bumpy ride but it's a flight worth taking.
The first half of Red Eye is essentially Colin Ferrell's Phone Booth in an airplane. The second half plays out more like Kim Bassinger's Cellular, though both halves have strong links to much older flicks.
Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is a super-efficient Miami hotel manager. She's on a red-eye flight back from Texas where she was attending the funeral of her grandmother.
Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy), the rather charming man she meets in the airport, turns out to have the seat next to her on the packed flight.
It's no coincidence.
Behind that smile lurks the deadly determination of a professional assassin.
He needs Lisa to change the room of Charles Keefe (Jack Scalia) the deputy secretary of America's Homeland Security, who has been targeted for assassination.
To her horror, Lisa learns Rippner has an accomplice posted outside her father's home. If she doesn't make the phone call, her father will die.
It's pretty tense stuff as Lisa tries desperately to outwit Rippner before the plane lands.
Taking their cue from the old Airport movies, Craven and screenwriter Carl Ellsworth create some dandy supporting characters among the passengers.
At first they seem like diversions for the script but each plays an important role in Lisa's struggle.
Once the plane lands and Lisa heads home to save her father, Red Eye may be tense and chilling but it's not nearly as believable.
Once again the heroine is saddled with a malfunctioning cellphone and rush-hour traffic.
When she does reach the house, Red Eye plays out like the classic woman-in-jeopardy flick Wait Until Dark.
It's Lisa against the killer but at least she's on familiar ground.
McAdams is excellent because she shows Lisa's strength and cunning without ever underplaying her vulnerability.
Murphy's Rippner is a genuine threat who resorts to physical violence when he's provoked.
Craven knows a bit of humour increases tension rather than detracting from it. Cynthia (Jayma Mays), Lisa's assistant back at the hotel, is a constant source of chuckles as she tries to cope without her boss.
Cynthia has no idea how much danger she and Keefe are facing but the audience does which intensifies the suspense.
The only actor to be short changed is Brian Cox as Lisa's unsuspecting father. Cox is such a powerful character actor but all he gets to do is make himself snacks, watch TV and miss her phone calls.
Red Eye clocks in at around 85 minutes which is about as long as this flight of terror can sustain its momentum.
(This film is rated PG)
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