Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan’s music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the artist becoming someone else. Jack, the son of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, finds Jesus; handsome Robbie falls in love then abandons Claire. Woody, a lad escaped from foster care, hobos the U.S. singing; Billy awakes in a valley threatened by a six-lane highway; Rimbaud talks. Jude, booed at Newport when he goes electric, fences with reporters, pundits, and fans. He won’t be classified. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}

“The deeper you look…the more you will find.”

I was fooled - I’ll admit that upfront. I believed the advance hype I read about the film and thought there was a supernatural element involved. Half an hour into the film I realized my mistake. There wasn’t anything supernatural about “Angel Eyes,” clearly it was more of a science fiction story. Jim Caviezel’s character, Catch, was obviously sent to Earth from a distant planet. He was a pod person, here to infiltrate the Chicago Police Department by corrupting the intelligent, independent Sergeant Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez aka J-Lo). What other explanation could there be for an otherwise responsible, logical person to fall in love so quickly with a man who wouldn’t disclose his name, his past, or why he chooses to always dress in a trench coat and t-shirts? Why would a perfectly normal, healthy woman - who also happens to be a cop - throw caution to the wind and overlook even the basic disclosure of a real name? It had to be some form of mind-control practiced by aliens bent on mating with earthlings. Or, as it turns out, it had to be love. A concept that upon listening to these two, seems as strange as alien possession.

Sgt. Sharon Pogue is a tough beat cop. We learn early on that her family life is nothing to smile about. Seems the men in her family like to abuse their women, a trait that has created an estrangement between Sharon and her dad, and eventually from her only brother. Her co-workers treat her like one of the guys and she seems content with that. She’s lacking a personal life, though not from trying. She hates having to answer all the standard date questions about her work. Her dates never ask her what it’s like to help someone in need; all they ever want to know about is whether she’s had to use her gun. She’d much rather be on the job than making small talk.

Through flashbacks, and a series of shots of Catch helping people throughout the city, we’re told that Catch is a strange dude who walks the city alone, keeping an eye on Sharon and doing good deeds for complete strangers. We also learn that Sharon has vivid memories of helping a car accident victim. How the two go together isn’t explained at first, but you just know from the importance placed on the flashbacks that there is some significant connection.

While catching a quick bite at a local eatery, Sharon and a group of her fellow officers are targets of a driveby shooting. Officers are wounded and it’s up to Sharon and her partner, Robby (Terrence Howard), to bring down the perps. No slouch in the fighting and chasing department, Sharon pursues one of the assailants as her partner stops to handcuff the other. Taking off without her partner isn’t a wise move. She’s left to pursue the armed suspect into an area with lots of hiding spaces. Sharon chases him down but ends up on the losing end of a physical altercation, shot twice in the chest but saved by her bulletproof vest. Pinned to the ground, looking into the barrel of a gun, Sharon is all but dead until Catch appears out of nowhere. He attacks the gunmen, knocking the gun away, and holding him down until Sharon’s partner is able to take over.

Catch is dark, mysterious, and apparently, Sharon’s guardian angel. How else to explain his appearance at that exact moment, at that location? As a thank you, Sharon invites Catch to meet her for a drink after work. He shows up, quiet, somber and with a smile that could melt the coldest heart. Sharon can’t get much info from him other than the name Catch, and that he helped her because he appreciates officers and their work at making the streets safe. Catch’s first conversations with Sharon come off as strained, awkward, and reserved. He doesn’t want to disclose anything personal, preferring to start from scratch - as though he had no life up until the moment they met. Catch acts almost as though he’s never spoken to another human being, or had much personal contact with members of the opposite sex (their conversations are so surface level and stilted that the assumption that he’s an alien isn’t really that bizarre). The two have an instant connection, an almost tangible bond that takes Sharon by surprise. Catch has saved her life, and beyond being grateful, she’s attracted both emotionally and physically to her savior.

Too much more info and I’d be giving away the entire story. Suffice it to say that Catch and Sharon are two lonely, complicated people in need of what the other has to offer. “Angel Eyes” turned out to be different than I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. The love story is central to the entire movie without being too cloying or sappy. Two different actors may have taken this movie to other levels, but I felt Jennifer Lopez has never been better cast in a film. Jim Caviezel’s performance is understated, perfectly capturing Catch’s obvious pain and longing. Lopez and Caviezel have a wonderful on-screen chemistry that was surprising in its intensity. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is a must-see for romance fans, however it never disappointed me and it kept my interest for the entire film.

About The Production

After a year in development, screenwriter Gerald DiPego (30 films including “Message in a Bottle,” “Phenomenon,” “Instinct,” “Sharkey’s Machine”), director Luis Mandoki (”White Palace,” “Born Yesterday,” “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “Message in a Bottle“), and producer Mark Canton learned that none other than Jennifer Lopez was interested in the film. Chairman and CEO of Franchise Pictures, Elie Samaha, entered the picture and gave the go-ahead to make the film. Recalls Samaha, “When Mark told me of Jennifer Lopez’s commitment to this film and her passion for the story, my response was, ‘Let’s do it’.”

The idea behind the film was to explore a reality-based story of ordinary human beings who personify qualities that might be considered angelic. Producer Mark Canton recalls, “We considered a number of ideas but this is the one I was most excited about. It was very original from the inception. I especially liked the inner-city police beat as our setting and the way the two leading characters were developed as brave but damaged souls.”

Director Luis Mandoki credits his stars for conveying the depth of emotion in their characters with the right subtlety. “Both Jennifer and Jim understood immediately…Their chemistry is phenomenal.” It was Lopez herself who suggested Jim Caviezel for the role of Catch. She was impressed with his ability to convey emotions through his intense gaze and expressive eyes. Caviezel was about to start another film but met with Mandoki and there was no question that he wanted to do “Angel Eyes.” “Angel Eyes” is Caviezel’s first love story. Caviezel states, “Truth is, I just look for great material and this was great material. There’s a wonderful mood to this film that’s very unusual. It’s kind of an old-fashioned story in a contemporary setting.”

Rebecca Murray
Hollywood Movies Guide

The up-and-down-and-up-again story of musician Dewey Cox, whose songs would change a nation. On his rock ‘n roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 step-kids, stars in his own 70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to - and then kicks - every drug known to man; but despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman - longtime backup singer Darlene. Written by Sony Pictures

Audiences can start celebrating a little early as the holiday-themed romantic comedy “Love Actually” weaves its spell over moviegoers. Writer/director Richard Curtis’ romantic comedy can honestly, truthfully, and without hesitation be labeled ‘the romantic comedy of the year.’ In a year practically devoid of romantic comedies, that’s not exactly a tough title to claim. However, “Love Actually” is utterly charming, irresistible, and all those other accolades usually launched at a cute, fluffy, romantic comedy, so it deserves the label - and not just by default.

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Ian Curtis is a quiet and rather sad lad who works for an employment agency and sings in a band called Warsaw. He meets a girl named Debbie whom he promptly marries and his band, of which the name in the meantime has been changed to Joy Division, gets more and more successful. Even though Debbie and he become parents, their relationship is going downhill rapidly and Ian starts an affair with Belgium Annik whom he met after one of the gigs and he’s almost never at home. Ian also suffers from epilepsy and has no-good medication for it. He doesn’t know how to handle the feelings he has for Debbie and Annik and the pressure the popularity of Joy Division and the energy performing costs him. Written by Marco van Hoof {k_luifje7@hotmail.com}

Neil Diamond stars as Yussel in this tale of a young Jewish cantor who strives to make a career in music. Against the wishes of his rigid father and his loving wife, Yussel travels to California to play his music. Swept up by the excitement, he meets a woman who shares his dream. He grows apart from his family, and becomes confused about what he should ultimately do with his life. Written by Ted Kula {tkula@cs.wvu.edu}

In rural Mississippi, Lazarus, a former blues musician who survives by truck farming, finds a young girl nearly beaten to death near his home. She’s the white-trash town tramp, molded by a life of sexual abuse at the hands of her father and verbal abuse from her mother, who seems to delight in reminding Rae of her mistake in not aborting her. Lazarus, who is also facing personal crisis at the dissolution of his marriage, nurses Rae back to health, providing her with gentle, fatherly advice as well as an education in blues music. Rae’s boyfriend, Ronnie, goaded by the man who nearly beat Rae to death, misunderstands the relationship between Lazarus and Rae, and vows to kill him. Lazarus, exhibiting a street-smart understanding of violence and its motives, calls Ronnie’s bluff, senses that he is as troubled as Rae, and becomes a guiding force in the young couple’s resurrection. Written by Joe Jurca

Six London school-leavers attempt to make it in the world, balancing the challenge of trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry against the pressures and tragedies of everyday life.

Molly Gunn (Murphy), the freewheeling daughter of a deceased rock legend, is forced to get a job when her manager steals her money. As nanny for precocious Ray (Fanning), the oft ignored daughter of a music executive (Locklear) she learns what it means to be an adult while teaching Ray how to be a child. Written by Lindsey

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An attorney (Ben Affleck) in a rush to make a court appointment to file legal papers involving a multi-million dollar trust accidentally collides with an alcoholic insurance salesman (Samuel Jackson), who also is a rush for a court appointment involving the custody of his children. The attorney leaves the scene of the accident and strands the salesman, causing him to miss his custody hearing. During the process of the post-crash discussion, the attorney accidentally drops the papers he needs to present in court. The judge gives him until the end of the day to present the papers and thus begins a cat and mouse game between the proponents. A few questionable actions later on both parties’ part, they finally start questioning their actions and their lives. In the end, both come to new understanding of what is important and appear to be set in new ethical and moral directions. Contains mild violence and profanity. Written by John Sacksteder {jsackste@bellsouth.net}