Lies in Plain Sight (2010) Reviews

• Beautifully understated family mystery/drama

  Yvaughn2014-10-12

  "Lies in Plain Sight" focuses on Sofia, a college student who returns home after the apparent, unexpected suicide of her cousin Eva. Eva and Sofia grew up together sharing a room, and were like sisters... so why is Sofia increasingly certain that she did not know Eva as well as she thought she did? As we meet Eva's mother, father, and little sister, and Sofia's widowed father, and Eva's old boyfriend and most recent boyfriend, one thing becomes certain--not everything was as it seemed when it came to Eva, and not everyone in her circle could be trusted. The film is a little slow, more of a family drama than an action/adventure story, though it does have a few edge-of-your-seat moments. My favorite part about it, however, is the film's understatement. You see, Sofia is blind, and yet she's the one determined to uncover the truth behind Eva's death. Also, the family is Hispanic. Both of these facts color the characters and the story, and both are beautifully understated. The film doesn't make a big deal out of either element; Sofia is a woman who happens to be of Latin descent and happens to be blind; she's not a Blind Latina who happens to be solving a mystery. So did Eva really kill herself? If so, why? You may figure out much of this before Sofia wholly realizes it, but only because the explanation makes so much sense. Overall, the drama is beautifully written and acted. Well done.

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• Good movie

  suzanne-2192010-09-24

  It's kind of predictable until the very end. I kept expecting the "bad guy" to be someone else because it was pretty obvious. The acting performances are all excellent, particularly the women. I enjoyed learning a bit about how a very independent blind woman gets around. The dynamic between her and her friend Eva was very interesting (with the lies etc.). I can't really get much into that without ruining the story for you. It's worth watching and will not be a waste of your time. I have one little quibble about one character who's a diabetic - I think it's a little unbelievable that a man would have his wife give him insulin in this day and age. They could have maybe explained why they did that because it seemed a little contrived to me.

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• EVERYBODY HAS SECRETS

  nogodnomasters2019-05-15

  I really hate titles that are puns unless I create them. "Joan of Arcadia" is perhaps the worse pun title. "Lies in Plain Sight" deals with Sofia, a blind Latino-American who attends MIT. She was very close to her cousin Eva, who is the apparent victim of a suicide...one where she left no note. Sofia (Martha Higareda) is skeptical and asks questions. Eva has a young sister Alexa (Kendra Jain) who is self centered and seems a bit resentful of Sofia. Eva's mom (Rosie Perez) believes Eva did it to punish her and deals with her grief by cleaning. Yul Vazquez is Eva's diabetic daddy. Benito Martinez is Sofia's father. Ethan (Chad Michael Murray) was Eva's boyfriend. He makes friends with Sofia. As they talk, Sofia becomes unnerved as things are not what they seem. She discovers her family, including Eva, lied to her to protect her. Early on we find out Eva was scheduled to have an abortion. Eva never brought her her boyfriend. Eva was pregnant, kept it a secret and was going to get an abortion. The boyfriend claims they had broken up and the child was not his. And the family had secrets. At this point the audience has the whole thing figured out and we still have over an hour of movie left. Even a blind person could figure this one out. The real story is how Sofia, who is blind, goes about to figure out the family secret and how is she going to save her cousin Alexa. At times the movie felt like an after school special, although it was certainly a cut above. Excellent acting. Good drama. No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. adult themes.

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• interesting premise

  SnoopyStyle2016-06-11

  Blind Sofia Delgado (Martha Higareda) returns home after her beloved cousin Eva Reyes's suicide. She finds Eva's phone and discovers Eva's doctor appointment. Eva was pregnant but Eva's boyfriend Ethan (Chad Michael Murray) claims that he didn't know. Eva's parents, Marisol (Rosie Perez) and Rafael (Yul Vásquez), are angry. As Sofia digs into the past, she discovers a different history than she remembered filled with dark secrets. It's a Lifetime movie. I do love the premise of Sofia reinterpreting her past as she uncovers the clues. The mystery doesn't have the needed twists. It's pretty straight forward. It's thin. It would be great to be a more compelling mystery or a more exciting thriller.

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