When a
filmmaker debuts with a great movie, shooting the second one becomes a dilemma: there
is always the temptation to play it safe and emulate the formula that proved
successful.
But there is
also the option to evolve in the search for a personal language and style. This
last one is the path Alejandro Amenabar, director of the hit "Tesis", has chosen to follow with this new film, "Abre los Ojos". And the result is somehow bittersweet.
The film
tells the story of Ceasar, a handsome and wealthy young man who has plenty of
women. After stealing his best friend’s girlfriend, Caesar is the victim of an attempted murder, perpetuated by one of his lovers, who, in a peak of jealousy, drives the car they are in towards a
cliff, at full speed.
Following
the accident Caesar is disfigured and begins a confusing nightmare, living in a maze marked
by the mystery of a murder, rejected by his friends and the challenge of his
own sanity.
With "Tesis"
Amenábar showed a remarkable ability for storytelling by providing a film with
a solid conflict and a smooth development, which maintains a high level of
tension.
However, in "Abre
los Ojos" the conflict weakens as the film moves forward :the course of
events is slow and tedious, and the outcome happens to be suggestive, bringing
an end brought from who knows where.
Director:
Alejandro Amenábar
Writers:
Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil
Stars:
Eduardo Noriega, Penélope Cruz and Chete Lera
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