CNN.com - Review: 'Angel Eyes' looks like a winner

The divine Miss J.Lo triumphs

By Paul Clinton
CNN Reviewer

(CNN) -- Whenever Jennifer Lopez puts on a uniform and carries a gun, there's something that just works. In "Out of Sight" (1998) she sizzled opposite George Clooney and was completely believable in her role as a federal marshal.

In her latest movie, "Angel Eyes," she's once again in the groove, this time as a Chicago street cop. Putting aside her last two choices, "The Cell" and "The Wedding Planner," it seems J.Lo can deliver when given the right material and the right director.

It's worth mentioning that with "Out of Sight" she was in the hands of Academy Award-winner Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich" of last year). With "Angel Eyes," she's been guided by Luis Mandoki (1990's "White Palace," 1999's "Message In A Bottle"), a filmmaker known as an "actor's director" who works well with intense emotional material.

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In addition to Lopez and Mandoki, there's Jim Caviezel, exceptionally cast as an enigmatic drifter. With his intense good looks and piercing blue eyes, Caviezel brings a haunted element to his character, which works on several levels in this story about faith, love and letting go.

Tough cop, tough beat, tough life

Lopez plays Officer Sharon Pogue, a tough cop working a tough beat on the South Side of Chicago. She's good at her job, but not at her life. She has a strong sense of justice and is estranged from her family over an old feud involving her once-abusive father. She refuses to forgive and forget, despite the pleadings of her mother (played by Brazilian actress Sonia Braga).

Caviezel's character remains a mystery for much of the film. Going by the name Catch, he seems to do nothing but wander the city doing small good deeds -- until one day when he's in the right place at the right time and saves Sharon's life as she's ambushed during a shootout.

The two are strongly attracted to each other and begin a cautious relationship. But things get complicated when he refuses to divulge anything about his past. She's just as touchy when she's confronted about her family. It's safe to say these two have some issues involving trust.

This is where the film could have gotten hopelessly hokey, or verged off into some type of otherworldly device like the one used in "Ghost" (1990). Instead it stays strongly rooted in reality. The result is an atypical love story about the courage it takes to start again.

Living up to the hype

Caviezel ("The Thin Red Line" 1998, and "Frequency" 2000) is quickly becoming a solid leading man. He brings a presence and a sense of intensity that draws the eye and he conveys an intelligence to back it all up. This is an actor who can explore and convey the inner life of his character, a skill lacking in many of today's younger performers.

Lopez is living up to her hype -- a rare Hollywood occurrence. All the excess -- her barely-there Versace designer gowns, the unpleasant publicity involving former boyfriend Sean now-"P.Diddy" Combs, and her healthy recording career -- could have been all there was to this young lady who apparently wants it all.

But Lopez can act. Her full potential may be unknown and her range may not threaten Meryl Streep, but she can play an urban chick with attitude without breaking a sweat.

Also worth mentioning is Terrence Howard (1999's "The Best Man"), cast as Sharon's partner Robby. Howard is slowly making a name for himself as an actor who can deliver the goods. He has a way of holding the screen with an understated authority that brings a nice weight to any role he plays.

Despite Sharon's profession as a cop, there isn't a whole lot of action in this romantic love story. Of course, for many guys, J.Lo walking across a 40-foot screen is all the action required. The fact that there's a good movie to go along with her is a rather divine gift.

"Angel Eyes" opens nationwide on Friday. Rated R. Its distributor is Warner Bros., a sister AOL Time Warner company to CNN.com.


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