RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / The Life Before Her Eyes
The Life Before Her Eyes

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Showtimes & Tickets
  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Life Before Her Eyes (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
24 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:91

Fresh:22

Rotten:69

Average Rating:4.4/10

Consensus: Despite earnest performances, Life Before Her Eyes is a confusing, painfully overwrought melodrama.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violent and disturbing content, language and brief drug use

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Apr 18, 2008 Limited

Box Office: $166,373

Synopsis: Imaginative, impetuous and wild, Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) can’t wait for her adult life to begin. Whiling away the final days of high school in the lush springtime, Diana tests her limits with sex... Imaginative, impetuous and wild, Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) can’t wait for her adult life to begin. Whiling away the final days of high school in the lush springtime, Diana tests her limits with sex and drugs as her more conservative friend Maureen (Eva Amurri) watches with concern. But Diana’s aura of invincibility is shattered when a senseless act of violence erupts at school, forever changing the lives of the two best friends. Fifteen years later, a grown Diana (Uma Thurman) is still trying to come to terms with the traumatic events of that fateful day. On the surface, the adult Diana has made a picture perfect life for herself. She’s still living in the sleepy Connecticut suburb she grew up in with her husband Paul, a professor at the local college. Her beautiful young daughter, Emma, is smart and creative, and possesses a fiercely independent streak reminiscent of her mother. But all is not well—as the anniversary of her adolescent trauma approaches, the darkness that Diana has tried to escape closes in. Meanwhile, her husband has become increasingly absent, her daughter has taken to hiding from teachers, and worst of all, Diana’s own grip on reality is starting to falter. Moving seamlessly through both stages of Diana’s evolution, THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES delves deep into the crossroads that we all face—where a simple decision can change the course of everything to come, and where a lifetime can be encapsulated in a single moment. With THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES, Vadim Perelman, director of the acclaimed HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, has established himself as one of America’s greatest young directors of serious, probing drama. --© Magnolia [More]

Starring: Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, Eva Amurri, Oscar Isaac

Starring: Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, Eva Amurri, Oscar Isaac, Gabrielle Brennan

Director: Vadim Perelman

Director: Vadim Perelman
Screenwriter: Emil Stern
Producer: Vadim Perelman, Aimee Peyronnet, Anthony Katagas
Composer: James Horner
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Trailer #2
    >
1 - 2 of 2

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "SAVE" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Life Before Her Eyes

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A hopelessly overblown melodrama, which oversteps its mark with pretensions of narrative complexity and social currency

Full Review Source: indieWIRE | comment Comment
08/08/09
Leo Goldsmith
Leo Goldsmith
indieWIRE

[Perelman] over-explains everything at the end with a montage of repeated scenes that ensures you never need see this film more than once.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment Comment
08/07/09
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Little White Lies

In the hands of the director Vadim Perelman, it becomes a jumble of dramatic scenes and disorientating flashbacks that merge into a confusing, stream-of-consciousness narrative, and the twist, when it comes, is a complete cheat.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment Comment
03/31/09
Peter Whittle
Peter Whittle
Sunday Times (UK)

An American high school drama with a tiresomely familiar twist.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
03/31/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

A thoughtful, if sentimental, semi-successful attempt to craft a drama about life and choice around the difficult subject matter of a school shooting.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
03/28/09
Daniel Etherington
Daniel Etherington
Channel 4 Film

The movie’s relentless dream-like quality could induce slack-jawed wonder…or chronic narcolepsy depending how receptive the viewer is to non-linear narrative and super-stylised flights of fancy.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
03/28/09
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

A touching tale from director Vadim Perelman with a surprise ending that leaves you plenty to ponder.

Full Review Source: Daily Express | comment Comment
03/28/09
Allan Hunter
Allan Hunter
Daily Express

A sudsy potboiler with a twist you can see coming from the title.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
03/28/09
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
thelondonpaper

Part Elephant, part Jacob’s Ladder, moments of bruising power are dulled by overwrought symbolism and a baffling wrap-up.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
03/27/09
Rob James
Rob James
Total Film

Ambition and accomplishment are aeons apart in this would-be meaningful drama.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
03/27/09
Trevor Johnston
Trevor Johnston
Time Out

Surely the point of a “twist” is that it should slot into the plot with a satisfying click, not that it should invalidate 50 per cent of what came before it?

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
03/27/09
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]

Vadim Perelman's drama is both tasteful and tedious. With its honeyed visuals, affluent air and coy portents of disaster, it's like an advert for private health care played out on an endless loop.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
03/27/09
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]

The film’s dogged repetition of its pivotal scene has to go somewhere, but it’s enslaved to a narrative conceit even M Night Shyamalan might find a trifle gimmicky.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
03/27/09
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph

Absorbing.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
03/27/09
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Sunday Mirror [UK]

Flitting back and forth in time, it's too confusing to entertain, while Wood and Thurman look nothing like one another, making for a disjointed and often dire experience.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
03/27/09
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Poorly conceived, badly written and ultimately ridiculous drama with a jaw-droppingly crass twist ending that backfires horribly.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
03/27/09
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

The ending is as baffling as anything preceding it - giving rise to a genre conflict situation.

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
03/26/09
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext

THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES starts off as superficial, sentimental trite, then turns into an incoherent journey into God knows what.

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment Comment
09/16/08
Austin Kennedy
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

baboyriarika poiitiko aytohaidema toy Perelman meta to House of Sand and Fog (2003), ayti ti fora dipla aforito, horis ena kapoio stori na krybetai kato ap' toys koyfioys loystrarismenoys symbolismoys toy

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
09/16/08
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

The surprises Perelman has for you along the way will blow your mind and have you talking hours after you leave the theater.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
09/08/08
Heather Huntington
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Life Before Her Eyes

September 22, 2008: BloggingSundance.com: An anti-abortion movement propaganda screed masquerading as a teen angst drama. There's apparently a new kind of female road movie out there, called the guilt trip. Opens in new window
More...

February 09, 2008: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
More...

See All

More Movies

Close
Coming Soon
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

More…

90% 90% The White Ribbon 12/30
100% 100% Daybreakers 1/8
— Leap Year 1/8
83% 83% Youth in Revolt 1/8
— The Book of Eli 1/15
See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Best of the Decade

Best of the Decade

Find out what movies made our list!

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2

Watch the brand new trailer now!

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans

Prepare to Clash with Titans in this trailer!

Total Recall

Total Recall

RT looks back on Jude Law's best movies!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • New Toy Story 3 Clip, Photos Posted Source: Slashfilm
18
  • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
14
  • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
16
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Soars to #1 Spot
261
  • RT's Best of the Decade!
131
  • Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009
115
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
69
  • Total Recall: Jude Law's Best Movies
53
  • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
44
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
32
  • Critics Consensus: Sherlock Holmes Is Worth Investigating
31
  • Friday Harvest: Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, and more!
14
  • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Disney!
8
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
69
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Life Before Her Eyes at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Life Before Her Eyes at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Best Dozen of the Decade
Best Dozen of the Decade External Link

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Top 50 of 2009
Top 50 of 2009 External Link

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Santa's Naughty List
Santa's Naughty List External Link

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.