#there sure were a lot of gifs of Cillian Murpy being cunty and manhandling Rachel McAddams in the airplane bathroom

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Film Friday: Red Eye

After ridding myself of some bile last week, I believe it is time to return to the world of the sanguine movie recommendation. I have a theory that the best movies, the best stories overall really, come from making a universal experience into something exciting. Jaws preys on the ancient fear and fascination with the sea, The Matrix taps into the feeling of the world not being what it appears to be, and today's movie, Red Eye, describes both the allure and dangers inherent to sharing a transport seat pair with a beautiful weirdo.

Our protagonist in this chamber play is Lisa Reisert, played by the always astounding and captivating Rachel McAdams, a consummate professional hotel manager who finds herself seated next to a charming, and clearly interested stranger, Jackson Ripner, played by the equally astounding and captivating Cillian Murphy. What initially plays out like a romcom meet-cute, though, takes a sinister turn once the plane takes off and Jackson tips his hand. He's a Fixer, and he has stalked Lisa with the express intention of forcing her to comply with his plan, an assassination plot against a politician staying at Lisa's hotel. In addition to the physical danger he represents, Jackson also has men keeping close tabs on Lisa's father, with the instructions to murder him if Rippner doesn't call it off.

What follows is an incredibly tight chamber play as Lisa attempts to outsmart Rippner, who for his part treats the outing as a delightful romp until unearthing certain facts about Lisa's life seemingly provokes something ugly within him. It's a tight story that utilizes the setting of a plane in flight to the max, weaving in near misses and almost-escapes to ratchet up the intensity of the drama. Rippner's control seems absolute with every contingency accounted for, but it does come to a head in a staggering act 2 climax where Lisa, after having ostensibly given in and aided Rippners plan, shares the last secret that Rippner has been unable to unearth... and stabs him in the fucking throat.

Act 3 may be a bit less tight than the preceding two acts, and rely heavily on a pre-9/11 level of airport security, but DAMN if I don't think of it every time I hear the sound of the "Seatbelts On" light turn off. Act 3 is decidedly more hectic as Lisa rushes to escape Rippner, who is down but not out, save her dad, and foil the assassination plot.

Now, while the setting and screenplay are both pretty clever what mid-budget thrillers are concerned, what really makes this movie sing are the characters and their actors. Cillian Murphy truly has some otherworldly peepers, and he leverages a fascinating blend of intensity and charm in his Rippner persona. He's the perfect man, as long as you're ok with everything about him being a lie to further whatever goal he's working for, even his laid-back "I'm too evil to have feelings" shtick is an act, as evidenced by the possessive rage he displays when he discovers Lisa having managed to hide things from him.

And Lisa, oh, Lisa. I may not be the biggest fan of the reveal that the secret Lisa has kept from everyone, even Rippner, was a sexual assault, but I won't deny that there is a certain triumphant flair to how she has turned this traumatic event into a bedrock of strength. If she was a real person and not a fictional entity I would perhaps ask if this was a healthy coping mechanism, but I am not an expert in these matters. Either way, I love the way McAddams plays her, how she projects this people-pleaser-act, but avoids social interactions, preferring to concede whatever ground is necessary to make sure conversations end prematurely. It's never elaborated on, but just the way she decides to lie to Rippner about her preferred drink order to dodge the connection is some compellingly subtle stuff.

Let's not forget about the chemistry, though. The setup only works if we believe in the meet-cute idea for long enough to get suckered in, and both McAddams and Murphy bring their a-game here. She's reserved but friendly, and he's harmless and charming, of course, they're both acting at this point, but that only underlines the parallels. For their own reasons, Lisa and Jackson both project a more socially acceptable persona, and it is in the way these come to clash throughout the movie that it ascends from engaging potboiler to something quite special.

Also, this may be a tiny bit unprofessional, but I have never claimed to be anything more than a passionate amateur so here it goes. Wow is this a tough watch for us bisexuals. Rachel McAddams and Cillian Murphy are both handsome people in their own right, but together they've got some kind of additive effect to each other that just makes them hotter. Perhaps it's that they're both fucked up in their own way or maybe it's just the way that "traditional" romantic tension gives way to an intense rivalry that just flips all the Enemies To Lovers switches and makes the whole thing seem way more queer than it has any right to be. That could be wishful thinking, but either way, this was a movie I watched a ton of times before I realized my sexuality and I couldn't quite figure out what I found so compelling about it. Now, however, I will say it makes way more sense.

So, with that personal aside, I will conclude my talk on this movie. Go see it if you haven't already!