The Girl from the Naked Eye is exactly what it sounds like, a not-so-serious, noir-like detective story that could be found in any pulp magazine roughly a century ago. Of course, this one has a modern twist, as the film’s anti-hero, Jake (Jason Yee), looks to solve this crime by asking questions with fast hands and swift kicks instead of a badge.
You see, Jake isn’t actually a detective, but hired muscle that drives prostitutes around to their appointments and makes sure they get paid on time, and aren’t roughed up. It’s a lowly job, but somebody has to do it, and there’s nobody more suited for it than Jake, a guy with a gambling problem that got him into a lot of debt with the wrong people. Jake is hired by Simon (Ron Yuan), a strip club owner who likes to pimp his girls out on the side to make some extra cash. Simon assigns Jake to drive around his newest girl, Sandy (Samantha Streets), and the two quickly build up a friendship – something both are sorely lacking in their lives. So when Sandy is found murdered, Jake takes it upon himself to find out who her killer is, even though he may have to tear down the entire city in order to do so.
Let’s start off with the pros, as Naked Eye has a great visual style to it. It definitely has that pulp comic type feel to it, with some great use of computer and camera effects to add to the definitive tone of the flick, which is set right off the bat. Director (and co-writer) David Ren definitely had a great sense of the vision he was going for before he started shooting and it shines through in every scene. While this film isn’t without its flaws, I’m interested to see what Ren does next, as he seems to have a solid handle on how to bring a film together from start to finish.
The story, which was also co-written by the film’s star Yee, as well as Larry Madill, is decent, and will keep most viewers who enjoy the style interested throughout – even though the pacing isn’t always the strongest and the mystery is pretty cut-and-dry. The dialogue will make many cringe; though, for the most part, it suits the pulp style the film is going for. Overall, the story is interesting enough due to the slick visual style, and because of certain chemistry and performances given on screen that help keep the viewer at least curious to see how it will all play out.
Yee and Streets have a good chemistry, which is rather vital to the entire film since his desire for “justice” wouldn’t be as believable had the two not seemed like they didn’t genuinely care for one another. Yee has some great moments, and while he’s not a detective, he still delivers a lot of his lines like those beaten down, on the edge film noir detectives that everybody knows on some level. We even get to hear his thoughts as he tries to solve the case, which checks off the obligatory noir voice over as well.
However, my favourite character, and performance, comes from Yuan, who just delivers his lines perfectly in every scene he’s in, has some ridiculous – yet funny – comedic moments throughout, and also has great chemistry with whoever he’s sharing the screen with. Unfortunately, he’s not on screen all that often, which may mean the “less is more” is part of his appeal, but I still would have liked to have seen a few more scenes with him in it, even though the story doesn’t really call for it.
Also, fans of Sasha Grey won’t find much to love here on her behalf, as even though she’s right there on the cover of the DVD beside Yee, she’s only in the film for one, very quick, scene. Yes, even though her name appears on the cover, and Streets’ doesn’t, her part is basically a cameo. Those who want to see her in a bigger role will have to wait until her latest action indie project, Skinny Dip, is released down the road.
The Girl from the Naked Eye is worth checking out if you’re a fan of pulp magazines, and those types of films. Ren’s visual style is really something, and while the story is fairly standard and plods along from time to time (which isn’t a plus for a movie that’s only 84 minutes long), it does keep things interesting often enough to warrant a viewing if any of the above has piqued your interest.
The visual style of this film is one of its biggest selling points, and the DVD transfer does it justice, with all the visual noir/pulp elements coming through strong. The audio also works well, with a fitting soundtrack, and well placed sound edits to add to the heavy amount of fight scenes.
The only special feature is a trailer.
Lifted Productions in Association with Mu-Yee Productions Present The Girl from the Naked Eye. Directed by: David Ren. Written by: David Ren, Jason Yee, Larry Madill. Starring: Jason Yee, Samantha Streets, Ron Yuan, Gary Stretch, Sasha Grey, Dominique Swain. Running time: 84 minutes. Rating: R. Released: July 24, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
