The Life Before Her Eyes

Rebellious Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) and her straight-laced friend Maureen (Eva Amurri) are just trying to survive high school when a gunman turns their lives into a nightmare. Fifteen years later, Diana (Uma Thurman) starts losing her grip on reality as she reflects on her teenage years. Big question: Why can't actresses as talented and risk-taking as Wood and Thurman find better material to take a chance on? Skip it: Although Wood and Amurri are enjoyable to watch, the movie they're in really isn't. Director Vadim Perelman's semi-successful debut, "House of Sand and Fog," pushed its tragedy to operatic levels. This follow-up approaches misery as a cryptic mystery for puzzle-lovers, which only obliterates any reason to care about the characters. Catch it: To see Thurman, who has no strong scene-partner to rely on, struggle mightily with carrying her half of the story. By the end you'll realize why her efforts didn't even matter. Bottom line: There�s a final twist that tries to redefine everything that�s come before it, but only proves that the rest of the movie wasn�t so confusing and irritating by accident�it was designed that way. Unlike Thurman, Wood emerges unscathed but this is just one more disappointing film for the adventurous actress. It�s about time she finds a project worthy of her talents. Bonus: The film's press notes sum up the tone nicely: "Sophie's Choice" meets "The Others." Who could resist that?