May 19, 2001

By Veronica Mixon

Fans of Jennifer Lopez will be surprised at her new role in ANGEL EYES especially since she's gone out of her way to construct a sexy image opposite big name stars. Yes, she's still sensual but this film takes a serious look at adults surviving violent trauma and Jennifer Lopez is terrific.

Sharon Pogue (Lopez) is a Chicago Police officer whose dedication to the job makes her as tough as many of the men she serves with and still she is beloved by her friends on the force. One day while chasing two thugs, a mysterious man prevents her from being shot. Stunned and intrigued, she agrees to meet the man, who calls himself Catch (Jim Caviezel) and slowly Sharon falls in love with him. Her partner, Robby (Terrence Howard) is suspicious of Catch but Sharon turns a deaf ear to his objections. While she is a good cop, Sharon is a very lonely woman. She doesn't have any women friends and her family has barred her from their lives. Naturally, Sharon's love borders on dependency because Catch brings so much warmth to her existence. Nevertheless, he shares very little about his own life and there is an air of listlessness about his existence.

ANGEL EYES is a thoughtful, poignant drama about two hurt individuals who must learn to move past their own personal traumas. Sharon fails to recognize Catch as a man she pulled from a devastating car crash over a year ago. He's been walking around in a fog, unwilling to reconnect with his past. In fact, his only attachment to his former life and family is his indigent mother-in-law, played tenderly by Shirley Knight.

More importantly, Sharon has survived a violent home life with an abusive father (Victor Argo) who is still protected by her devoted mother (Sonia Braga) and brother, Larry (Jeremy Sisto), who has begun to beat his own wife. Sharon knows she's right but her family can't find it in their hearts to forgive her because she exposed the family nightmare to the outside world.

There are so few films that deal with actual feelings that ANGEL EYES surprises the audience. This isn't a thriller but a delicate look at the numbing day-to-day life of a cop, the danger and the strange isolation of the people who protect and service us. Catch's reappearance in Sharon's life seems heaven sent but their involvement serves as a catalyst for the other's problems. Both Catch and Sharon have lost their families and they are forced to move on despite their lost.

Jim Caviezel ("The Thin Red Line" "Frequency") is a gifted actor who never hesitates to exhibit emotions or tenderness in his films. And, his expression of pain is reminiscent of Montgomery Cliff especially when you consider his tall, dark handsomeness. He's perfect as Sharon's poignant lover considering the tough, mean men that she battles on the job as a cop. The only other kind man is Terrence Howard ("The Best Man") and he's under utilized as her partner. But, working with Caviezel and Howard, makes Lopez's portrait of a no-nonsense cop look good. She's wisely worked with the best talent in Hollywood and it's rubbed off on her. Jennifer Lopez is superb here. You can see the genuine yearning her character has for Catch and the deep, raw pain she possesses due to the rejection of her family. She makes watching ANGEL EYES worthwhile. It's a little gem.