In Your Eyes (2014)

Directed by Brin Hill (...Ball Don't Lie)
Written by Supreme Lord Joss Whedon (that one line in X-Men about toads)
Starring:
Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys)
Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks)
Mark Feurstein (Royal Pains)
Nikki Reed (Twilight)
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Dramedy

An anticipated and long sought after Joss Whedon project, this was something I devoured with the impatience of a toddler staring at cake, this movie is as delicious as cream cheese frosting. (Shout out to Netflix)

The basics: It's a tale about two people. One, a dirt-covered model-faced guy who happens to be an ex-con, and two, a Zoe Kazan-like girl. They've never met but, through science fictional splendidness, they share an unreal connection; each can see what the other sees, feel what the other feels. What potentially could have been something Wachoiwskian (or even Whedonesque, really) in scope, something huge that simply contained an average tale about star-crossed, telepathic, attractive "twenty somethings"(even though both actors are 30!) is instead a more intimately focused feature that ultimately proves to be rather satisfying. I still can't help but ponder the consequences of the world that was created. It's an itch that be forever left lingering.

While it may travel through some familiar romantic tropes, the story avoids going too far off the deep end and holds true to the promise of quality small budget content under the Bellweather Films production banner.

The two leads are phenomenal and Kazan continues to prove that she is the new age Zooey Deschanel. Her characters are a morphing, evolved version of the dreaded Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Much like in the film What it (aka The F Word) her character isn't there to be a sweeping resolution to a male hero. The male hero, as it were, is just as flawed as her female hero is. When a romance is tackled with both sides on even footing, we are able to witness a more believable attachment develop. The supporting cast is a bit on the annoying side but well acted enough to not be a huge hindrance.

The experimental and telepathic scenes are capably handled. Senses are a tricky thing to capture on camera but Brin Hill gets us to connect with what the characters are truly experiencing, much like how Danny Boyle managed in 127 Hours but way less intense.

Bottom Line: Hill and Whedon take us on a peculiar yet facinating journey about two linked hearts. We still get that sharp edge Whedon loves to supply along with his usual dollups of clever sweetness in an adorably weird romance which has minimal need for eye rolls.

INKS or Stinks?

This little darling INKS.
Tentacle 1: Weirdness of the story.
Tentacle 2: Chemistry of the leads.