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The Eye

Two directers and still unoriginal

By BRETT MICHEL | February 6, 2008

1.5 Stars

Jessica Alba

“I see . . . ,” says formerly blind concert violinist Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba, not believable as a musician even while visionless), the recipient of a recent cornea transplant, her voice trailing off. “Dead people?” concludes her eye specialist (Alessandro Nivola). Heard this one before? Seems Sydney has retained the “cellular memory” of her donor — particularly the ability to observe spectral escorts for the dead (or soon-to-be). It takes two directors, David Moreau and Xavier Palud, to be this unoriginal. But The Eye isn’t just a second-hand Sixth Sense; it’s also an ineffectual remake of the creepy but no less derivative Gin Gwai, a 2002 Hong Kong horror/thriller by Oxide and Danny Pang, who’ve also directed two sequels. In the wake of this “new” picture’s $13 million opening, Moreau and Palud may be eyeing a follow-up of their own. Sigh. As absurd as all this sounds, would anyone believe Parker Posey as Alba’s sister? Maybe with a parent transplant . . . 97 minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle + suburbs

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[ 02/16 ] Third Annual Providence Children's Film Festival @ Cable Car Cinema

[ 02/16 ] "Dana Levin: A Classical Realist In the 21st Century," an exhibit of paintings @ Bert Gallery

[ 02/16 ] Mary Poppins @ Providence Performing Arts Center

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