THE F*CKING BLACK SHEEP: Eye of the Beholder (1999)

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

THE BLACK SHEEP is an ongoing column featuring different takes on films that either the writer HATED, but that the majority of film fans LOVED, or that the writer LOVED, but that most others LOATH. We’re hoping this column will promote constructive and geek fueled discussion. Dig in!

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (1999)
Directed by Stephan Elliott

“Sometimes an examination of a splintered human soul is just damn entertaining.”

As the Black Sheep, ahem, I mean as the F*cking Black Sheep, it’s my doomed duty to present films from the popular and the not so popular category. Some people might recognize instantly, while others…eh, not so much. However, that doesn’t mean they ain’t worth being the subject of an article. Sometimes a movie just sorta vanishes from public mindset, getting lost deep in Amazon.com listings. Eye of the Beholder might just be that sort of movie. And it deserves defibrillator pads for a second life.

Now more than a decade old, Eye of the Beholder is an example of excellence forgotten–part Vertigo, part The Conversation and yet doesn’t feel recycled or stale. It feels alive, mean, and filthy which no doubt constitutes its initial failure at the box office. Regardless if you remember it or not, it burns with mysteries and obsessions that might prevent it from ever being considered a fun movie, but then again, since when do all movies have to be fun. Sometimes an examination of a splintered human soul is just as damn entertaining. Just not in a The Hills kind of way (joke! That shit is about as entertaining as a rectal examine performed by Andre the Giant. And he’s dead.)

The flick stars the currently relevant Ewan McGregor and the not very relevant Ashley Judd. It’s strange. Six years or so have passed since she last mattered (tears anyone?). Ok, so maybe nobody noticed the death of her career (hey Tommy Lee Jones got busy and she loves those Kentucky basketball games) but there was a time, long, long ago when she existed as the go-to-girl in Hollywood. Her movies, while not always good, usually played with the dark side, unafraid to get a bit nasty. And Eye of the Beholder represents the best of that work.

The femme fatale, Joanna, is one messed up cookie with daddy issues. In the beginning when she murders Ewan’s target with a few dozen stab wounds, she shouts, “Merry Christmas, Daddy.” A little odd. But Judd emulates a classic noir character, morphing into various identities and funky wigs as she creates one life after another, leaving a trail of bloody departed dudes behind her. That all sounds rather obvious because that’s what a femme fatale does, but Judd’s Joanna is perhaps the best character of her career, and she makes the most of it. She’s a woman with pain, love, misery, and disgust flowing through those pretty little veins. Not an easy concoction to pull off. Plus, there’s the nice bonus of getting to see her naked a few times. That usually helps any performance. Usually. (I’m looking at you Kathy Bates.)

And while I won’t claim this is McGregor’s best work, I really love his work here. He doesn’t say a lot beyond talking to himself. Instead, his performance comes through his actions and his boyish stares at a woman he can never have. But it’s not like he hasn’t played this kind of role before. In fact, McGregor has a knack for playing guys with odd names: The Ghost. Lincoln Six Echo, Obi-wan. Here, he’s Eye, and poor old Eye, dude can’t catch a break. He lost his wife and daughter (who he keeps seeing at every turn) due to his obsession for his job as a private dick and the technology within it. And when he falls in love with Judd’s bad girl, a murderer who just keeps killing, his obsession grows like the mold in my sink as Judd keeps falling for other guys, each appearing better than him in every regard (well, except a great slimy turn by Jason “90210” Presley as a junky jerk). Perhaps what I enjoy most about it is the Vertigo-like obsession for a woman that defines all reasoning. Eye of the Beholder becomes an examination of how dark and how far a man can go just for the opportunity to be near her.

I’d be full of it if I didn’t admit the flaws of the film. For one, K.D. Lang. Why? She stars as McGregor’s connection to his P.I. firm and she damn near ruins everything. For two, the backstory of McGregor’s case isn’t exactly clear. I get that he falls for Judd while tracking the boss’s son when he witnesses her killing the target, but McGregor’s connection with the agency is too vague to make that plot point interesting. For three, the technology I could never understand. There’s a lot of pseudo future computer stuff here that makes things feel futuristic even if the film is made to look timeless. Still, anytime you use a dial-up modem with futuristic tech, it’s a bit of a show stopper.

Eye of the Beholder isn’t cheap genre crap. It’s all about subtly, about the powers of technology and voyeurism, about what drives people to do really stupid shit. The characters are surprising deep and director Stephan Elliott does great keeping everything as understated and simple. Most of all, I love the ending. Typically, Hollywood strives for the happy ending, but much like Hitchcock, happiness here has no bearing. It’s all about the story. For characters defined by murder, voyeurism, and obsession, no happiness can ever be found. And that’s why Eye of the Beholder deserves a second look. Just don’t get all obsessed.

Disagree? Buy the DVD and discover for yourself.

GET THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER DVD HERE