In Your Eyes

Image Credit: Vimeo

You know how there's always this one movie that you're ignoring in your Netflix recommendations?  It's been there for quite a while now but you just scroll past it because it just isn't catching your attention.  Every day you go past it thinking, I really ought to go to Netflix and block this movie from being recommended.  For me this movie is In Your Eyes.


Over the weekend I finally decided to (got bored enough) to watch it.  It's scary how well Netflix knows me at this point.  Of course I liked this movie.  I only vaguely knew that it was a love story.  The movie poster alone will tell you that.  Even reading the premise had me concerned that I wouldn't like it.  A guy and a girl share a psychic connection from across the country and fall in love?  Sounds ridiculous. 


I should have looked into it further.  The movie is written and produced by Joss Whedon.  That alone should have sent me running back to my TV.  Only Whedon could pull off something like this. 


For the entire movie, the main characters are talking out loud to each other.  They can see what the other person sees, they can hear/smell/taste/feel what the other person does.  Both Rebecca and Dylan are lonely and just trying to make it through the drudgery of everyday life.  Dylan is an ex-con and Rebecca is a purposeless housewife who appears to be controlled by her husband.


As they get to know each other you learn more of their backstories and you start to see them try and improve themselves.  Dylan starts to clean up his life and Rebecca basically works on getting herself out into the world.  Of course, they struggle with the surrounding world since they appear to be crazy.  They keep looking like they are talking to themselves.  At first Rebecca occasionally attempts to play it off by scrambling for her phone.  One wonders why they wouldn't just use ear pieces so that it would always look like they were on the phone, but without that part of the movie, the plot fails to move.


One of my favorite scenes occurs when there is something wrong with Rebecca's car and the mechanic tries to overcharge her.  Through her eyes, Dylan is able to help her fix the car and put the mechanic in his place.


What should be a ridiculous premise ends up being charming and delightful.  Even with the drama at the end, you already know they are going to find their way to each other and it's a heartwarming union.  The movie is both predictable and unpredictable.  Considering this is primarily a movie about two people talking to each other, the extraneous cast is well rounded and fleshed out.  What could have come off as cheesy comes off as rich and layered.


Thanks Netflix and Joss.  You got me again.

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