Sorry to say that the Stephan Elliott (99) version of the film is absolutely
abysmal and useless...it lasted no more than 1/2 hr on our DVD player...and
making it an Œintelligence¹ story was totally idiotic...and the whole thing
is pitiful...Ms Judd is appalling...nothing new from this pseudo actress who
tends to wear white hats on racing days...
Here¹s a sample review, from Uk I think:
Eye Of The Beholder
Reviewed By: Angus Wolfe Murray
Whether it is director Stephan (The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The
Desert) Elliot's fault, or Ewan McGregor's lobotomy, the character of The
Eye, an intelligence agent stationed in Washington, has as much charisma as
a dish of sick.
The fact that he hasn't got a name adds to the feeling of phoniness. He
works on voyeuristic assignments, using state-of-the-art surveillance
equipment, and never goes near the office. He has a little girl with him,
who calls him Daddy. This little girl doesn't exist. Either she's dead, or
living in another place with mom. The Eye imagines she's there.
If that isn't enough to send you screaming from the cinema, how about the
plot? The Eye has to keep tabs on a suspect blackmailer (Ashley Judd), who
becomes a serial killer. Rather than do something, like call the cops, he
falls in love with her.
Elliot's script is pretentious and preposterous. Judd changes wigs every
five minutes and gives no indication that she understands what is going on.
McGregor, meanwhile, has passed away.
The Claude Miller film is worth it...but it is nowhere near the relentless
tension of the book...and Adjani¹s ham¹s it up instead of coolin¹ it...and
thus kills her character (in the film)...rent it and only watch
Serrault...he¹s the Eye of/from/near/about....the book...very much...
I can¹t tell if Miller lost Adjani, or if she was the wrong cast...maybe
somebody here will say...I keep thinking she was right but something
happened and Miller lost her....and with her it¹s very easy to loose Œit¹ as
we all know....sad...
I think the perfect cast would have been Italian actress Lucia Bosé. Check
Lucia Bosé for those of you who have not seen her...
Montois...eating foie gras with nice Jurançon wine...
PS1: Bosé was married to divine torero Luis Miguel Dominguin, that I saw
many times in my youth in SW France. (sorry for the unpolitically correct
mention of nasty cruelty to 450kgs animals) ....
PS2: I raise my glass again to whoever mentioned Toros & Torsos on Rara
(maybe Craig himself...since I now have his website too...). It is a
magnificent book and I have bought six copies that became my main X-Mas
present to friends from Michigan to NY, to Brazil, UK and SW France (
although I suspect greatly the frogs will wait for the frogtalk translation
)...
On 3/2/09 6:07 PM, "Mark Sullivan" <DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net> wrote:
> Montois responded to me:
>
> "I'm very glad you mention Arjouni, I bought two of his while in UK (Happy
> Birthday Turk and More Beer) and they were excellent..."
>
> It was the first that I enjoyed. Just recently found the second in a used
> bookstore.
>
> "Marc Behm¹s is
> hauting and very beautiful...unfortunately the movie (Mortelle Randonnée
> Claude Miller 83) is not as good except for the performance of Michel
> Serrault."
>
> I was referring to the US movie as getting such horrible reviews I passed on
> it, but I haven't seen the French version, either. Guess it's not much
> better.
>
> The book, though, is great. I keep meaning to read more of Behm's work.
> Didn't Serpent's Tail publish a book of his a few years ago that was supposed
> to have some connection to Eye of the Beholder?
>
> Mark
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
Steve Novak
Cinefrog@comcast.net
734 429 4997 - off
313 300 0770 - cell
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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