Shot entirely in front of a green screen, The Crooked Eye would already have an otherworldly feel to it even if the filmmaker, D.C. Douglas, hadn’t worked so hard to make the entire experience that much more artistically enriching. At times it feels like a live-action film with subtle bits of animation and at other times it feels like a painting come to life. All together, it is a unique look and an ethereal viewing experience.
Based on a short story by Betty Malicoat, The Crooked Eye is the story of one day in the life of Sharon (Fay Masterson). Her inner thoughts and turmoil narrated by Linda Hunt, Sharon seems to drift through life, displaying one thing to those around her while mentally and emotionally experiencing another. She may be there physically, but her life seems to be taking place in an entirely different realm, haunted by her memories of love lost.
The Crooked Eye manages to envelop the viewer in the atmosphere of Sharon’s mind, for better or for worse. The omnipresent narration of Linda Hunt eventually seems to come less from the screen and more from your own head (how did she get in there!?!) and the pleasant look of the film offsets the not quite so pleasant emotions that the story itself creates. Sharon is not a happy person at the time of this tale, and the story is therefore fraught with her fears and insecurities.
So why does it feel so comfortable? Maybe because we’re all so good at swimming in our own equally fragmented currents, sometimes it just takes the right nudge to jump into and enjoy the emotional river of someone else. The Crooked Eye doesn’t give you a shove, more like the floor slowly sliding out beneath you; you’re already in the deep end before you realize what happened.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you’d like us to see, and we aren’t already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
I was nervous submitting this to Film Threat. You guys are discerning and sometimes a bit tough. By the end of this review I wanted to hug someone! And that last line? You definitely “got” the film. Thank you.