J Lo kicks butt

Sukanya Verma

What begins as a supernatural tale of two people bound by Nature's forces turns into a predictable and lacklustre film.

Set in Chicago, Angel Eyes is about feisty, hard-as-nails supercop Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez). A recluse of sorts, Sharon has a problem trusting people or doing normal stuff like dating or inviting friends over.

Apparently, Sharon has been debarred from her family after she arrested her father for abusing his wife. Wife abuse seems to run in the family tradition -- Sharon's brother Larry (Jeremy Sisto) is an abuser, too.

When Catch (Jim Caviezel), a mysterious man with an unknown past, enters her life, Sharon's life takes a new turn. He rushes to her rescue during a criminal encounter; the duo strikes an instant connection. A few beers and coffees later, Sharon and Catch find themselves drawn to each other.

However, Catch's peculiar behaviour -- insisting on walking, aversion to driving, obsession with toys and playing the trumpet like a professional raise doubts in Sharon's mind. Her doubts are confirmed when she discovers there are no records under his 'supposed' name.

What is his real name? What does he do? Where does he come from?

At the end of it, no one really cares. And it has a lot to do with the slow pace of the film.

The idea was to show two depressed people discovering love and happiness in each other. But Gerald Di Pego's hollow and confused script lacks conviction on every count. After making credible romantic tearjerkers like When A Man Loves A Woman (Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan) and Message In A Bottle (Kevin Costner, Robin Wright), director Luis Mandoki fails to evoke any emotion with this impotent saga.

The brighter side of this flm is of course, the captivating Jennifer Lopez (Annaconda, Out of Sight, The Cell, Wedding Planner). The singer-actress brings out a sense of dignity, toughness and vulnerability to her character. Those expecting her to flaunt those perfect curves won't be disappointed.

The otherwise competent Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line, Frequency) sports a deadpan, harried expression throughout the film.

Technically, Angel Eyes boasts of imaginative and active camerawork by Piotr Sobocinski (Hearts in Atlantis).

If given a choice between a laidback J Lo film lacking fizz and a glitzy, racy J Lo music video. I would go for the latter any day.