‘Secret in Their Eyes‘, the 2015 film by Billy Ray, could represent another episode in the eternal discussion about American remakes of non-American film productions. Ray, who is also an excellent screenwriter, took the general outlines of the conflict of the Argentinian film that had won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language a few years earlier, removing most of the political component of the original and focusing on the psychological thriller elements. He recruited a stellar cast and the result, in my opinion, does not fall below the level of the Argentinian film, in fact in many ways I found it more effective and just as interesting, tense and surprising in key moments.
The film’s heroes are three law enforcers, two women and one man, caught in two different stages of their lives and careers, 13 years apart. Ray and Jess are police officers in a special unit that monitors suspected terrorist groups. Claire is the prosecutor who is delegated to accompany the police teams and make decisions related to the prosecution or other key aspects of the investigations. She is also a very beautiful woman and Ray will not be slow to take an interest in her. Everyone’s lives are shaken by the discovery of Jess’s teenage daughter’s body near a mosque the group was monitoring. Coincidence or maybe the crime is related to the activity of the law enforcement officers? The main suspect is also a police informant and seems to enjoy protection because he provides valuable information. 13 years later, after Ray has left the police force, he identifies the alleged suspect, reconnects with the two women, and requests that the case be reopened. It won’t be easy.
The two threads of the story advance in parallel, and the viewers, from their point of view, gradually discover the complexity of the situations and of the relationships between the heroes. Everyone has reasons to hide some of the truth from the others and from the rest of the world. Romantic relationships complicate the situation. It’s one of those stories where a tragic event triggers other events and causes traumas long after it’s happened, and where the good intentions and devoted help of friends don’t always yield the expected results. Writer and director Billy Ray manages to involve his viewers in the action, gradually reveals the details of the drama and reserves for the end some surprises that will change the perspectives. The suspense continues until the final scene and even beyond. Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman create two extremely realistic and believable female characters. Their presence and acting performances only enhance the one of Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose male hero, unlike many other films of the genre, stands out not for his physical abilities but for his emotional intelligence. ‘Secret in Their Eyes‘ is worth watching or re-watching, and those interested in comparisons, if they haven’t seen the Argentinian original, should also look for it.