Secret in Their Eyes 2015

     The story in this film takes place in 2002 and 2015.  Ray Kasten and Jess Cooper are members of a private police unit investigation lead by the District Attorney.  They have been using constant surveillance on a Mosque with suspected terriorists.  They receive a tip about a girl being killed near the Mosque.  Ray and Jess respond along with their team.  Ray is horrified to see that the victim is Carolyn Cobb and she is the daughter of Jess Cooper.  Both Ray and Jess fall apart when they see her body.  They try to track down the killer but there is a problem because of the surveillance on the Mosque and it could impact National Security.  Ray, Jess and Claire Sloan never recover from the crime.  Thirteen years later in 2015, Ray comes back to LA and he convinces the DA to reopen the case because he has found a new lead to the killer.

     It’s a little difficult to keep up with the back and forth between 2002 and 2015.  I had to look at Ray’s hair, it is dark in 2002 and it has gray in 2015.  There is a surprise in the ending that I didn’t see coming?  Sometimes star power doesn’t elevate a film but can bring more viewers.  Personally, I thought the film from Argentina, The Secret in Their Eyes 2009 was much better than this updated English version.  Reviews agree with me on the Argentina film, Imdb 8.2 out of 10, 91% critic 93% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 393 reviews.  2* (This movie is so-so)

111 min, Crime directed by Billy Ray with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nichole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Alfred Molina, Joe Cole, Michael Kelly, Zoe Graham, Patrick Davis, Eileen Fogarty, Lyndon Smith.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10, 39% critic 42% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*, Amazon 3.8* out of 5* with 159 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles, Pasadena and Arcadia, California.  In the movie Monte Carlo of 2011, Roberts and Kidman were scheduled to star together but the roles were recast with younger leads.