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Francisca, a young girl at the height of her most curious and formative years, is robbed of the nurturing of her mother who is killed by a psychopath. Her father, left distant and deeply affected by his wife's death bestows vengeance on the killer but leaves the bulk of the work to Francisca. Left with only vague memories of her mother's warmth and the clinical knowledge of surgery she bestowed on her, Francisca faces a life in a microcosm of loneliness. She pines for a connection with her sole living relative but is met with silence. Soon, she finds solace in the strangest of places and her freefall into psychosis reaches terminal velocity.
Francisca (wonderfully portrayed by Kika Magalhaes) proves to be a deeply sympathetic character even at her most macabre. She is a walking tragedy, desperately trying to make a connection in a world that never gave her a chance to make one. In fact, the film's eerie nature stems almost entirely from its unnerving psychological roots. One wonders what would of become of Francisca if even the slightest detail of her youth would of changed. Simultaneously, the viewer is left horrifyingly agog as she seeks comfort in the darkest of places and ways.
"The Eyes of My Mother" is presented in three chapters, each one dropping in at a different time in Francisca's life and providing a terrifying glimpse at how far she's gone and how much the echoes of her parent's impressions on her resonate in her attempts at normalcy. It is a bleak life and a hopeless future she trudges through. This almost fatalistic air stains the film from the the get go. We, like Francisca, cling to hope but know in our heart of hearts that nothing of what we see can end well.
Many have called this a gory film and that just goes to show you how impacting it can be. There is very little blood ever shown onscreen and never in a exploitative fashion. The gore is more often than not cut away from or tastefully left out of frame. Still, the disturbing nature of Francisca's deeds leave a haunting stain on you that might leave you remembering more than you saw. This is a skill that is woefully not employed by many nowadays but it is here in spades.
"Eyes" is also a gorgeously framed and shot film. The director's choice to shoot the bulk of it at a distance helps communicate not only the passage of time but that impersonal void that Francisca finds herself trapped in. The photography is in gorgeously photographed black and white which, as you can imagine, also lends a bit to the the dreary affair.
"The Eyes of My Mother" is a riveting piece of psychological horror. From its breathtaking look, meticulous pace, engaging acting, and to its vast array of macabre overtures, this film is hard to ignore. I'm loathe to call it art house horror, though I suppose in this current landscape many would rush to call it that, because it has not a single drop of pretension. It is an unflinching look into the making of a psychopath, made by a person with a careful eye for things. More fascinating, is that it is director Nicolas Pesce's debut piece. With such a strong initial outing one wonders what is in store for the future.
I could not keep MY eyes off of "The Eyes of My Mother". Highly recommended.
