The Eyes of My Mother
Synopsis: A young, lonely woman is consumed by her deepest and darkest desires after tragedy strikes her quiet country life.
Shot in all black and white and with a tiny screenplay, “The eye’s of my mother”, is a brisk and visually reliant film that lunges the audience into the depraved ideals of a sadistic farm girl. At 1 hour and 17 minutes of visceral terror, “The eyes of my mother”, shows us the potentially weird underworld of middle America during what appears to be the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. I assume this because we never really get much confirmation on much of anything in this movie as far as date and time. Director Nicolas Pesce leaves much of this movie to the interpretation of the viewer. Some of the murder scenes are left out visually but are implied with post-slaughter haste. Pesce uses a nice blend of actual gore and imagined violence. So please don’t get bored by the lack of blood shed in the first act. I promise you, it gets better.
“The eyes of my mother” starts with our young antagonist “Francisca”, played by Olivia Bond, who spends her home taught education with her “Mother”, played by Diana Agostini. “Mother” is a surgeon and her days are lathered with teaching young Francisca how to perform surgery on the deceased animals from their family farm. Francisca’s “Father”, played by Paul Nazak is far too indifferent to this sort of upbringing until “Charlie”, played by Will Brill, shows up to the property one afternoon. “Charlie” a free-lance, hippy drifter who is undoubtedly inspired by Charles Manson, has zero pleasant intentions and is determined to make this visit to the farm an advantageous addition to his murderous ways. “Charlie” succeeds in murdering “Mother”, which prompts “Father” to thoroughly beat “Charlie” half to death and tie him to chains in the family barn. “Father” then returns to his indifferent ways as “Francisca” is left to tend to a decade long torture of “Charlie” and anyone who crosses her path.
The imagery of “The Eyes of My Mother”, is breathtaking. The cinematography, brief pacing and diabolical torture scenes are what steal the show. Francisca’s body count is not high but the methodical precision of affliction to her victims are just that of a surgeon. The maniacal, soulless, manipulation of her prey is downright disturbing. This behavior however is all she knows. This is what her mother’s death and her mothers teachings had instilled in her. In a way, you almost feel sorry for “Francisca” and her actions. Actress Kika Magalhaes plays “Francisca” as an adult and is stunningly beautiful in her murderous ways. Magalhaes’s performance as “Francisca” lends influence to that of Audrey Hepburn portraying “Angela” from “Sleepaway Camp”. She was just that down right convincing as a beautiful psychopath lost in a world of her own torturous pleasures.
As a 27-year-old, up and coming director, Nicolas Pesce is on the fast track to stardom. “The Eyes of my Mother”, is a welcome visual stunner. And a sign of good things to come from a promising film maker. I rate “The Eyes of My Mother” with 7 stars out of 10.
