Secret in Their Eyes

Chiwetel Ejiofor Director: Billy Ray Billy Ray

Overview

A former Los Angeles DA inspector (Chiwetel Ejiofor) spends 13 years hunting the killer who raped and murdered the teen daughter of his colleague (Julia Roberts). But when he finds the culprit and the district attorney (Nicole Kidman) refuses to reopen the case, he is forced to pursue justice on his own, which ultimately leads to a shocking discovery. This English-language remake of Juan José Campanella's 2009 Argentinian film of the same name was written and directed by Billy Ray.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2016
UPC:	0025192339912
Original Release:	2015
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Time:	1:52:00
Sales rank:	30,770

Special Features

Adapting the story for today's world; Julia Roberts discusser her most challenging role; Feature commentary with director/screenwriter Billy Ray and producer Mark Johnson

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Chiwetel Ejiofor	Ray
Julia Roberts	Jess
Nicole Kidman	Claire
Dean Norris	Bumpy
Michael Kelly	Siefert
Joe Cole	Marzin / Beckwith
Zoe Graham	Carolyn
Lyndon Smith	Kit
Don Harvey	Fierro
Mark Famiglietti	Duty Sergeant Jacobs
Ross Partridge	Ellis
Patrick Davis	Luis
Alessandro Cuomo	Anthony
Kim Yarbrough	Nan
Eileen Fogarty	Angie
Amir Malaklou	Aban Ghazala
David Pearl	Lawyer
Alfred Molina	Martin Morales
Niko Nicotera	Hammer/Chop Shop Thug
David Israel	Angry Dodger Fan
Dennis Keifer	Chop Shop Thug #2
Glenn Davis	Stadium Cop
Walter Tabayoyong	Photographer
Michael Tennant	Arriving Cop
John Pirruccello	Duct Tape Salesman
Noel Gugliemi	Garbed-Out Fan
Ho-Sung Pak	Peanut Vender (Stunt)
Laurence Todd Rosenthal	Popcorn Guy (Stunt)
Carrick O'Quinn	Protective Detail #1 (Stunt)
C.C. Taylor	Protective Detail (Stunts)
Carlo Zapata	Dave
Erik M. Solky	Panicked Man

Technical Credits

Billy Ray

Billy Ray	Director,Screenwriter
Matt Berenson	Executive Producer
Juan José Campanella	Executive Producer,Original Story
Nelson Coates	Production Designer
Shay Cunliffe	Costumes/Costume Designer
Colin de Rouin	Art Director
Stuart Ford	Executive Producer
Samuel Y. Ha	Associate Producer
Min Young Hong	Associate Producer
Matt Jackson	Producer
Mark Johnson	Producer
Emilio Kauderer	Score Composer
Patricia Klawonn	Set Decoration/Design
Michael Lantieri	Special Effects Supervisor
Russell Levine	Executive Producer
Chris Lytton	Co-producer
Daniel Moder	Cinematographer
Jim Page	Editor
Eduardo Sacheri	Original Story
Jeremiah Samuels	Executive Producer
Ann Seibelli	Sound/Sound Designer
D. Chris Smith	Sound/Sound Designer
D. Tracy Smith	Set Decoration/Design
Paul Sonski	Set Decoration/Design
Peter Staubli	Sound/Sound Designer
John Ufland	Executive Producer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Secret in Their Eyes
1. Chapter 1 [5:12]
2. Chapter 2 [5:39]
3. Chapter 3 [7:27]
4. Chapter 4 [4:20]
5. Chapter 5 [4:06]
6. Chapter 6 [7:42]
7. Chapter 7 [8:08]
8. Chapter 8 [3:51]
9. Chapter 9 [5:27]
10. Chapter 10 [:40]
11. Chapter 11 [3:36]
12. Chapter 12 [4:01]
13. Chapter 13 [5:29]
14. Chapter 14 [6:46]
15. Chapter 15 [4:54]
16. Chapter 16 [4:03]
17. Chapter 17 [3:49]
18. Chapter 18 [5:52]
19. Chapter 19 [6:03]
20. Chapter 20 [8:18]
21. Chapter 21 [6:01]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Secret in Their Eyes
   Play
   Scenes
   Bonus
      Adapting The Story For Today's World
      Julia Roberts Discusses Her Most Challenging Rold
      Feature Commentary With Director/Screenwriter Billy Ray And Producer Mark Johnson
         Commentary: On
         Commentary: Off
   Setup
      Spoken Language
         English 5.1
         Feature Commentary With Director/Screenwriter Billy Ray And Producer Mark Johnson
      Subtitles
         English SDH Subtitles For The Deaf & Hard-Of-Hearing: On
         Español Subtitles: On
         Français Subtitles: On
         Subtitles: Off

Editorial Reviews

Julia Roberts has never looked worse and rarely been better than in this emotionally charged remake of El Secreto de Sus Ojos, the 2009 Oscar-winning thriller from Argentina, in which she plays Jess Cobb, an investigator in the Los Angeles DA's office who learns that her teen daughter has been murdered. Sans makeup, and wearing dark contact lenses to make her normally radiant brown eyes dishwater dull, Roberts wraps herself in a dowdy demeanor like a body bag in order to bring Jess' inner turmoil to vivid life. Late in the story, a concerned friend tells her, "I think you look a million years old." He isn't kidding. Cinematographer Danny Moder (who is also Roberts' husband) uses harsh, unflattering light to deglamorize the actress, and her limp, backwoods hairstyle makes the transition complete. It's the very definition of a vanity-free performance. The movie's mystery begins as Jess' life starts to unravel. It's early 2002, just four months after the 9/11 attacks, and Jess, part of an investigative team keeping surveillance on a mosque where suspected terrorists may be hiding, learns a body has been found in a dumpster beside the place of worship. When she arrives at the crime scene, her partner Ray Kasten (Chiwetel Ejiofor) informs her that the victim is her daughter Carolyn (Zoe Graham). From there, the story ricochets back and forth between 2002 and the present day, when Ray, now a private investigator in New York, tries to get District Attorney Claire Sloan (Nicole Kidman) to reopen the case. He believes he knows who the killer is and where he might be found. But Claire is hesitant to help out due to scant evidence, as well as the fact that they were unable to convict the same suspect 13 years ago. Even though the alleged killer was caught, he was released because he was an informant whom the Feds hoped would lead them to a terrorist sleeper cell. In addition, Jess is also reluctant: She doesn't want to relive the past and see her daughter's murderer get away once again. Ray, however, refuses to let go, and doggedly pursues his instincts. His passion for finding justice for Carolyn is only matched by his feelings for Claire. "Passion always wins," Jess tells Ray. But Ray, a genuinely decent man, can't face the possibility that he may have lived the past 13 years in vain, spending each night poring through endless mug shots to match a suspect, all while pining for a married woman he knows will probably never be his partner. It's rare that a remake improves on the original, but that's what writer/director Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) has achieved with this film. In El Secreto de Sus Ojos, a banker's wife is raped and murdered, but the banker has no connection to the detective working the case. By making Ray and Jess co-workers and friends, the story becomes much more intimate and personal; it's easier to understand why Ray is so determined to catch the killer, and it ups the ante considerably for all involved. But director Ray has wisely chosen to keep what worked best in the Argentine film to propel the suspense -- most of the major plot points, twists, and standout scenes are included here. And yes, the ending is the same, but it's even more gut-wrenching this time around. While Roberts is excellent and deserves all of the praise that will likely be heaped upon her, it's Ejiofor who carries the picture with a forceful, lived-in performance that expertly swings between grit, grief, and guilt to make us feel the full weight of Ray's dilemma. Kidman, too, is first-rate as the cool, Harvard-educated beauty Ray can't get over, and a top-notch supporting cast that includes Dean Norris, Alfred Molina, and Joe Cole are equally effective. Fans of El Secreto de Sus Ojos may come away disappointed, since they already know the story's dark secrets. But those seeing the movie with fresh eyes will discover a haunting, suspense-filled thriller about love and loss, justice and retribution, that isn't easily shaken.

All Movie Guide - Tim Holland