Movie Review: ‘Secret in Their Eyes’ an okay remake with strong lead performances

MOVIE REVIEW: “SECRET IN THEIR EYES” (PG-13)

“Secret in Their Eyes” is a remake of an engrossing, expertly crafted Argentinian thriller from 2009. It’s a by-the-numbers Americanized redo that lacks the grit of the film that inspired it, but strong performances still warrant a recommendation.

In “Secret in Their Eyes,” an up-and-coming investigator (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) is devastated when arriving at a crime scene and discovering that the murder victim is the teenage daughter of his partner (played by Julia Roberts). The department is reluctant to push further on the case when it’s discovered that a snitch with possible information on a terrorist organization turns out to be a key suspect in the case.

Rather than telling this story by way of a straightforward narrative, writer/director Billy Ray alternates between the present (2015) and the past (2002) in an attempt to ramp up the mystery and the drama. In addition to the central murder case at the heart of the movie, “Secret in Their Eyes” is a tale of unrequited love. The potential romance in question is between the ambitious characters played by Ejiofer and a strangely out-of-place Nicole Kidman.

Ejiofer is fantastic as the moral center of a film that features its fair share of moral gray areas. He’s simply a compelling actor to watch. Unfortunately, he and Nicole Kidman are unable to generate real chemistry, and this ultimately hurts the film because their relationship is supposed to be a major component here.

Ejiofer proves to have stronger chemistry with Julia Roberts. The fact that he’d be willing to do anything for her suggests that perhaps they would have been more suited for a relationship. Having said that, I suppose some folks were only meant to be friends. Roberts is solid here if a tad underused. There are times when it feels as if she’s missing in her own movie. Granted, her scenes with Ejiofer, particularly in the bookend scenes, are both emotionally gut-wrenching and undeniably powerful.

As good as Ejiofer and Roberts are here, Ray’s take on the source material can’t seem to get out from under the shadow of the 2009 version. The haunting sense of longing that proved to be so potent and the shocking mystery that ended on such a provocative note left a much stronger impression in Juan Jose Campanella’s film. There are simply to many moments when this take on “Secret in Their Eyes” plays like an extended “Law and Order” episode. That’s fine if you’re a “Law and Order” fan. I was hoping for a little bit more.