Eye of the Beholder (2000)

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER ain't half-bad for the first half.  The pace is 
zippy, the plot is well-propelled, there are plenty of way-cool sur-
veillance gadgets, and Ashley Judd gets nekkid.  Sure, writer/direc-
tor Stephen Elliott (THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DES-
ERT) overdoes the arty flourishes-- enough with the snow-globe dis-
solves, already!-- but the core story is compelling-enough.  Ewan 
McGregor plays a high-tech private eye, chasing a mysterious murder-
ess (Judd) across the country, first dogging her heels and, after 
becoming suitably obsessed, repeatedly intervening to prevent her 
capture.  Both characters also have that Haunted By Their Past thing 
going on, with the Scotsman even imagining that his departed daugh-
ter is travelling with him!  (Or is there something SIXTH SENSE-y 
going on?  The film drops one or two hints and that's about it...)
Watchability also gets a star-powered boost from Judd's wig-swapping
ice queen.  McGregor, on the other hand, is a total loss.  Somehow, 
he manages to have even *less* presence than his bland appearance in 
THE PHANTOM MENACE.  (The supporting cast, however, has some inter-
esting faces, including Patrick Bergin, Jason Priestly, and k.d. 
lang.)  Alas, the longer it plays, the farther south it goes.  The 
plot mechanics keep merrily churning away, but the character motiva-
tions become fuzzier and increasingly absurd.  By the long-awaited, 
livin' end-- set somewhere in Alaska-- not a damn thing makes sense.
Sigh.  At least the first hour didn't suck...  From the novel by 
Marc Behm.  (Rated "R"/103 min.)

Grade: D+

Copyright 2000 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies as MOVIE HELL: Eye Yi Yi