A short film that plays around with time and perspective. We are hearing narration between a hypnotist and his patient, the title character--Edward James. Something has happened that Edward is trying to relive, and we are seeing images from his memory or subconscious. They are shown out of order, and the movie does not spoon-feed the viewer as to what it adds up to. He returns home early from work and hears a noise in his house. His wife is surprised to see him home already, is acting very strangely, and of course didn't hear any noise upstairs. Right there you can put it together that she was probably with someone else, who is hiding upstairs. Through Edward's viewpoint, we explore the house, adding tension as we wait for him to make the discovery we are already expecting. The technique so well used by Hitchcock was to let the viewer know what is going to happen before the characters do, building the suspense as we wait for that moment when they realize what is going on. This short film does not provide the payoff climax, however, as Edward James keeps terminating the session when the memories get too intense. We get an idea that he may have figured it out and attacked his wife in a crazed fit of jealousy, but the memories are stopped just short of showing that explicitly. The one question that I was left with was this: if Edward did flip out and harm/kill his wife and the other man, was he arrested and is now receiving treatment in a prison or insane ward? Or did he somehow get away with it, repress the memory, and is now going to the hypnotherapist because the buried memories are tormenting him? It ends up being better than average because I at least felt like there was enough information to satisfy me by the end, whereas some short films take one good idea and don't worry about filling in enough other details to bring much resolution. 6 out of 10.
3 Reviews
Very intriguing!
rue_morgue_disciple31 August 2006
For the inaugural film of Rue Morgue Cinema, Mr. Gudino has chosen a short film - The Eyes of Edward James.
Roughly 15 minutes in length, The Eyes of Edward James is a suspenseful, intriguing narrative. Shot in the first person P.O.V, the film is a very accurate depiction of the subconscious mind and the blur between memory and accuracy. Very Hitchcockian/Lynchian, very noir.
Gudino treats the audience with respect, allowing for an interpretive perspective of the film, and does not underestimate the viewer's comprehension of the material - nor does he feel the need to blatantly "explain" his vision to the viewer.
Beautifully shot, this atmospheric film is a welcomed addition to the suspense/horror genre. I look forward to more of Gudino's work in the future.
One warning though - don't blink! I looked into it, and The Eyes of Edward James will be appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival before the feature "The End of the Line" on September 9, 2006 at 9:00 PM and September 11, 2006 at 3 PM (Cumberland 3). Rumor has it, The Eyes of Edward James has been accepted into other festivals as well.
Roughly 15 minutes in length, The Eyes of Edward James is a suspenseful, intriguing narrative. Shot in the first person P.O.V, the film is a very accurate depiction of the subconscious mind and the blur between memory and accuracy. Very Hitchcockian/Lynchian, very noir.
Gudino treats the audience with respect, allowing for an interpretive perspective of the film, and does not underestimate the viewer's comprehension of the material - nor does he feel the need to blatantly "explain" his vision to the viewer.
Beautifully shot, this atmospheric film is a welcomed addition to the suspense/horror genre. I look forward to more of Gudino's work in the future.
One warning though - don't blink! I looked into it, and The Eyes of Edward James will be appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival before the feature "The End of the Line" on September 9, 2006 at 9:00 PM and September 11, 2006 at 3 PM (Cumberland 3). Rumor has it, The Eyes of Edward James has been accepted into other festivals as well.
amazingly captivating
dan022029 June 2008
I caught this randomly on CBC very late one night.
I was just about to go to bed when the title hit the screen, then I saw the opening shot and I swear that I was hooked.
I couldn't look away despite being so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.
The film is shot in a first person perspective and the tension it creates simply by having the camera move from room to room is off the charts.
the calmness of the characters as they converse about what we are seeing adds a surreal type of fear that works perfectly.
Throw in a bit of mystery and you've got yourself an amazingly watchable short film that I am already dying to see again.
I was just about to go to bed when the title hit the screen, then I saw the opening shot and I swear that I was hooked.
I couldn't look away despite being so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.
The film is shot in a first person perspective and the tension it creates simply by having the camera move from room to room is off the charts.
the calmness of the characters as they converse about what we are seeing adds a surreal type of fear that works perfectly.
Throw in a bit of mystery and you've got yourself an amazingly watchable short film that I am already dying to see again.
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