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The Life Before Her Eyes

Review By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

The Life Before Her Eyes is not an easy movie. Be prepared to think, and ponder, and think some more. In fact, I sat with a furrowed brow during most it, meticulously trying to keep track of details and wondering where it would all end up. When it was all over, I still wasn’t completely sure. Fortunately, that’s to the film’s credit. The mystery transforms a film from your average drama into something more.

The story (based on a novel of the same name by Laura Kasischke) hinges on a fateful day for two best friends, the rebellious Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) and the conservative Maureen (Eva Amurri). During a terrifying school shooting the girls must make an impossible choice that will change them forever.

From there the film begins cutting back and forth between the days leading up to the shooting and Diana’s guilt-ridden life 15 years later. The adult-Diana (Uma Thurman) is still living in the same small Connecticut town, but has given up her wild ways and settled down with her college professor husband (Brett Cullen) and 8-year-old daughter (Gabrielle Brennan). As the anniversary of the shooting approaches, Diana is overcome with anxiety and remorse. Her life begins to unravel in strange ways that make you question her sanity—and yours.

All of this leads up to a twist ending that will make you want to go back and re-watch everything you’ve just seen.

Director Vadim Perelman, in his second feature since 2003’s The House of Sand and Fog, paints a cryptic picture. He’s intentionally vague, refusing to put a timestamp on the film and choosing to reveal details slowly, but he’s heavy on the symbolism (water plays a big role). Perelman masterfully, and maddeningly, blurs the lines between what’s real and imaginary. I won’t spoil it here but according to Perelman there is a definite answer as to what actually transpires. It’s just not spelled out. (If you're curious, you can read Perelman's answer here.)

What I can say with absolute certainty is that Wood and Amurri are standouts. While Wood essentially plays a character we’ve seen from her before in films like Thirteen, it’s clear why she’s cast in these “restless teen” roles: she’s good at it! Wood layers Diana with a sensitive vulnerability just underneath her tough exterior. She jokes that she’s the “whore” and Maureen is the “virgin”, but in truth she’s deeply hurt by the way people see her. She’ll only reveal her weaknesses to Maureen,