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Film: Lies in Plain Sight
Year: 2010
Director: Patricia Cardoso
Writer: Teena Booth and Noa Greenberg
Starring: Martha Higareda, Chad Michael Murray and Yul Vazquez
Review:
This film begins at an airport. A blind woman, played by Martha Higareda, has arrived home on the west coast from Boston where she goes to school. Early in the film we learn that despite being blind, she is very independent, to the point where she pays off the worker at the airport to let her walk alone.
Her father meets her inside the airport. We get another point where we notice a bit of agitation that he came in to meet her instead of meeting her outside. She has come home because her cousin and best friend has committed suicide. At this point in the film, Higareda seems to be in shock and is searching for why it happened.
During the car ride, we see that Higareda and her father have a strained relationship. Arriving at the house of her aunt and uncle, we learn that Higareda grew up in the house and was very close to the woman who committed suicide.
Once she arrives at the house, she begins to notice that things do not make sense to her. She learns the truth behind some of her memories and begins to investigate into her cousin’s death. No note was left and Higareda finds this to be very odd. With the help of her cousin’s boyfriend, played by Chad Michael Murray, she learns that her father has a dark secret that no one knows about and learns the truth behind her cousin’s death.
This film has a great story and I like the concept they used for it. I must point out that it was remade from an Israeli film, but this one has the bond between two girls, which I feel is stronger. With that being said Higareda does a marvelous job at playing the blind main character. The realism of her acting makes it very believable that she is really blind. With the difficulties of this disability, it also makes the investigating that much better because of the obstacles she must overcome in finding the truth.
The only downfall I find with this film was that it was a lifetime TV movie, so they are hampered with what they could. With this one though, they really did push the limits and I was impressed by that.
Now this isn’t a horror film per say, but I am adding this to the horror film research I am doing due to the secrets that the father was keeping. It is horrific that the young woman had to grow up with this. It makes it even worse that he threatens to do this to her younger sister. The father is also crazy in how far he will go to keep his secret.
I would recommend this film. It is a tale that shows we all keep secrets and is a cautionary tale to not keep them to ourselves. It is also sad in that it constantly violating the trust between characters as well as going through something no one should ever have to do. The way characters react is also highly believable. Now the film itself isn’t the best, as you will get with most Lifetime movies. I found this film to be entertaining despite what happens to this young woman.
My Rating: 6 out of 10