Eye of God

Available, at press time, only direct and at the admirably low price of $35 (compared to the average $80 wholesale of A-titles), this moody indie debut from writer/director Tim Blake Nelson uses a fractured narrative structure--popularized (though not originated) by Pulp Fiction--to examine a young couple's relationship in Oklahoma which goes very, very wrong. Martha Plimpton stars as Ainsley Dupree, a waitress scarred by her father's religious beliefs, who hooks up with Jack Stillings (Kevin Anderson), a convict newly come to Jesus. As the film opens, a young boy (a knockout performance by Nick Stahl, who should have gotten a Best Supporting Oscar nod) is found by policemen wandering bloody and speechless and taken in for questioning by the town sheriff (another fine turn by Hal Holbrook). The way in which these narrative threads eventually intertwine is not particularly surprising; in fact, the little details revealed along the way give us plenty of fair warning about the ugly conclusion, which Nelson handles with admirable and wise restraint. Semi-predictability notwithstanding, Eye of God is that rare art film that transcends its film student trappings to limn a story that is as timeless as Greek tragedy, as old--in fact--as the biblical passages which inspire it. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--March 25, 2003--Lion's Gate, 88 min., R, $14.99--Tim Blake Nelson's ("O", The Grey Zone) directorial debut looks very handsome on this new digital transfer, which includes a straightforward--though consistently interesting--commentary by the writer/director. Bottom line: A nice addition, especially for those who didn't pick up the video during its limited initial release.]