Rhinoceros Eyes (2003) Reviews

• A Wonderful Surprise!

  wednes2003-10-19

  Having just seen Rhinoceros Eyes, I want to tell fans of indie drama and horror to run, not walk to see this film if it comes anywhere near your town! The film is a coming of age story about Chep (Michael Pitt), a reclusive young man with an unfortunate past, living in a prop shop...and in a fantasy world fueled by cinema and the props he surrounds himself with. Supporting characters include his boss (Matt Servitto of Sopranos fame), his love interest, and "the cop". Interesting characters float in and out of the story in a way that never fails to entertain and disturb. I was reminded of films like Donnie Darko, and Repulsion; but Rhinoceros Eyes is its own entity. It is a creepy and frightening as it is funny and quirky. This film has some excellent camera work, and plenty of the symbolism indie film fans love to talk about afterwards. While the FX are reminicent of 70's childrens shows, this film is chilling, disturbing and fascinating all at once. Maybe I should say it again, See This Film!

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• quirky movie

  bksbracelet2005-03-01

  I took time out from university and work and made a special journey to see this movie. I chose it as it had Gale Harold in the cast. I went to the movie expecting it to be boring when Gale Harold was not on the screen. This aside I was pleasantly surprised, the acting talent put in by lead character Michael Pitt definitely kept my interest. The shyness bordering on mental health issues this character explores showed real growth through the film, as he dealt with each character through the story. This film to me has that quirky feeling about it like Edward scissorhands or Fried GreenTomatoes. I felt it did round out nicely. I think its worth a look Cheers Chris

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• Visually unique and fun

  SheBear2004-04-29

  From the first frame to the last I was completely caught up in the unique visual world created by first time director Aaron Woodley. The dark, cluttered prop house where the majority of the film takes place is a nostalgic and otherworldly cave of magic and threat. It is the home to childlike Chep, an employee who rarely leaves except to immerse himself in old films at the local cinema. When a production designer named Fran enters the prop house looking for a pair of genuine rhinoceros eyes, Chep is instantly smitten. This film is rich in mood and atmosphere. It also has some great laughs and offbeat characters that are genuinely intriguing and not just annoyingly "quirky". The film is amazing to look at and there is even some creepy stop animation. But it is Chep who is the heart and soul of the film. Proving that he is more than just a pretty face, Michael Pitt delivers a heart breaking performance as the sweet and self conscious, reclusive who becomes increasingly desperate to please Fran and increasingly delusional about the nature of their relationship. Being cool, funny, creepy and touching all at once can't be easy but Rhinoceros Eyes is all of those things and more - a cult classic for the future.

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• Big-time eye candy.

  onenunandapackmule2004-03-16

  I see TONS of films, and I can honestly say that Rhinoceros Eyes is one of the most visually stirring movies I've seen in a long, long time. Seriously, all the Hollywood crap with big explosions and massive effects has gotten so predictable and easy. There's no real creative direction behind any of it. Rhinoceros Eyes isn't like that at all. It's so carefully done. The Prophouse in this movie is like a "land of make-believe." This loner kid Chep lives in a Prophouse. He falls obsessively in love with a woman. Soon thereafter, he starts with the conflicts of what do I have to do to win her?. The stop-motion animation in this hallucination scenes is AMAZING. And from that point on ... you're trapped between realities, and glued to the screen All the characters are vivid and well-developed. Even the girl in the box-office, who has a crush on Chep is so carefully created and real ... right down to her lollypop. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this movie since Mulholland drive. Unless you're actually like boy-meets-girl-boy-gets-girl movies and features that follows a formula, go see run away bride, if you want to see hip cool and mindful film where "boy-meets-girl" "boy-thinks-he-gets- girl"; "boy- gets-himself" you should see Rhino Eyes.

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• seriously cool and psyched out

  dogboyatlas2004-03-12

  This is a seriously cool psyched out movie. Like some hybrid of Cronenberg Lynch and.well someone else with a great sense of humor. As someone once said to Cronenberg `you gotta take this movie to a shrink'. Rhino eyes is a case in point. The film is almost like some kind of psychological case study. Theres Chep - his ego, alter ego and ID - Masks, talking animated objects, a can-can dancing geriatric amputee and men dressed as Gorillas . Michael Pitt is totally captivating as Chep who practically lives in a prophouse, eats, drinks and sleeps the place. When femme fatale Fran enters his life and sends him on expeditions to get more strange props for her, he starts discovering as the audience that theres a dangerously fine line between what's real and what's not. Then a cop starts investigating and pushes the reality/fanasty factor to stratispheric heights. The whole thing plays like some ironic version of Homers Odessey journeyed inwards into the workings of the mind. Awesome. The cinematography is amazing and makes the whole fantasy/reality thing work on so many levels. If you liked Donnie Darko, you' love Rhino. Oh yeah, and it's funny funny. I said that already, right!!

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