Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Julia's Eyes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 30, 2011

Directed by Guillem Morales and produced by Guillermo Del Toro, "Los ojos de Julia" a.k.a "Julia's Eyes" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; video interviews; and a small collection of b-rolls. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Julia

A young woman who has recently gone blind commits suicide in the basement of her house. But Julia (Belén Rueda, The Sea Inside, The Orphanage), her twin sister, is convinced that she was murdered. Determined to prove that the official police report is inaccurate, Julia begins investigating.

Followed closely by her husband, Isaac (Lluís Homar, Borgia, Broken Embraces), Julia questions various people who knew her sister. Eventually, she discovers that she had a boyfriend with whom she went on a romantic vacation shortly before her death. In the hotel where the couple stayed, a stranger warns Julia to be careful because she is being followed by a dangerous man who has become invisible.

Much to Isaac’s disappointment, Julia takes the warning very seriously but continues her investigation. However, after a trip to a local eye clinic she is informed that she has developed a serious medical condition and like her sister will become blind – unless she agrees to undergo a complex and very risky eye surgery.

Spanish director Guillem Morales’s Julia’s Eyes is a refreshingly original and hugely entertaining film that blends elements from a number of different genres, from horror to thriller to romance, and in many ways it reminds about the best works of such celebrated directors as Dario Argento, Victor Erice, and Brian De Palma.

The atmosphere is outstanding. All the eerie tricks one could possibly think of are used in the film. During the first half, for instance, where Julia begins searching for leads and frustrates Isaac, there are some remarkably effective sequences that are likely to impress even the most seasoned amongst horror fans.

The script is also terrific. There are numerous subplots that keep redirecting the story literally until the final credits roll. Most of them are quite surprising but never too far-fetched and, more importantly, in the grand scheme of things making perfect sense.

Director Morales’ previous film The Uncertain Guest was a good one, but Julia’s Eyes is unquestionably in a different league – the production designs and camerawork are both top-notch while the editing is practically flawless. Guillermo Del Toro’s touch is also felt during a number of key sequences.

Rueda was clearly the right actress to play the insecure Julia whose world slowly begins to spiral out of control once she is informed that her sister has committed suicide. Her character transformation is amongst the very best in recent genre films. Homar, a fantastic Spanish actor, is also terrific as Julia’s husband, a man whose presence brings a very important sense of balance in the film.

Sound designer Oriol Tarragó’s (The Devil's Backbone, [REC] / [REC] 2) contribution to the film deserves a special mention. The screeching doors, falling rain, heavy wind and the rest of the spooky noises enhance the tense atmosphere exceptionally well. The sharp clicks of the flashing camera at the end of the film are also brilliant.

Note: Earlier this year, Julia’s Eyes was nominated for Goya Award for Best Actress (Belén Rueda).

Julia's Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Guillem Morales' Julia's Eyes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

The majority of the film is quite dark, but detail and clarity are excellent. With the exception of the sequences where the action is actually seen through Julia's eyes (featuring plenty of special effects), contrast levels are also consistent. Color reproduction does not disappoint either - as intended, the variety of cold blues and grays effectively add to the genuinely creepy atmosphere. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. There are no traces of excessive noise corrections either. Severe ringing and compression artifacts are also nowhere to be seen. Lastly, blown through a digital projector, the high-definition transfer conveys outstanding depth and fluidity. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Julia's Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided imposed (they cannot be turned off) English subtitles for the main feature. They split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is enormously impressive. It has a fantastic dynamic amplitude and the surround mixing is one of the very best I've heard. This is not to say, however, that it is an unusually potent loseless track; rather, it is one of the most nuanced and convincingly mixed tracks that I've heard in quite some time. Additionally, the dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. The English translation is also very good.

Julia's Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Some of the supplemental features included on this Blu-ray disc are encoded in PAL. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC in order to view them in North America.

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Julia's Eyes. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• B-roll - raw footage from the shooting of selected scenes. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles. (8 min, PAL).

• Interviews - a collection of short interviews. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles.
  
  -- Guillem Morales. (3 min, PAL).
  -- Belen Rueda. (4 min, PAL).
  -- Luis Homar. (1 min, PAL).
  -- Guillermo Del Toro (3 min, PAL).

Julia's Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you enjoy intelligent and seriously atmospheric horror thrillers, you do not want to miss Spanish director Guillem Morales' Julia's Eyes. Unlike other similarly themed films, there is more than enough substance and the style is absolutely impeccable. The presentation is also excellent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.