Trick of the Eye (1994)
A woman artist is hired by a wealthy woman to paint a mural in a room however she finds out that the woman wants her to do more than paint the mural as hidden family secrets are revealed.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
You won't be disappointed!
Such a frustrating disappointment
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Three writers made a valiant attempt to adapt Jane Stanton Hitchcock's novel for the tube, yet this television movie has ultimately been injected with too much melodrama and just doesn't know when to quit. Struggling artist Meg Tilly suddenly finds herself employed by wealthy, enigmatic Ellen Burstyn, who desires a mural painted on the walls of her unused ballroom. After learning about the last gathering held there--Ellen's daughter's coming-out party--Tilly decides on her artistic theme, never dreaming the daughter died mysteriously before the function even began, nor that she and the deceased bore a striking resemblance to one another! Two superb actresses lend their services to an incredible yarn which doesn't bear close scrutiny, one that fails to match either lady in emotional intensity. Burstyn's role teeters on camp, while Tilly gets stuck doing the dreamy-eyed-waif routine. Only one sequence late in the film (the morning after the mural is finished) is charged with honest feeling, anger and betrayal. The rest is piffle.
A struggling young artist is caught up in a heavenly opportunity when she's asked to paint the grand ballroom of an upper class Long Islander. The older woman, Mrs. Griffin, seems to have a strange fascination with the painter, and the "vision" created on the ballroom walls, which leads Faith to the mysterious death of the woman's daughter, Cassandra. As she unfolds truth from deception, she lies on the brink of a horrifying discovery...There are obvious flaws in the structure of this film, which doesn't explain away all the events in the characters' lives, but overall as a thriller it works. The aura of the house and the strange Mrs. Griffin give the piece an eerie feeling, even as we fear Faith is treading on the threshold of doom. The performances are fair and although there's a lack of dramatic action until the last few minutes of film, we really get a sense of who the characters are and even some of their motivations. The final scene is jarring enough to satisfy any mystery fan, even if Burstyn's acting seems a little over the top.
... but Meg was better suited for the role, and I was happy to see her working. I just saw this (first time) on TV. It is an interesting story of a young painter and a rich patroness of the arts and their bonding and unbonding. Very good acting by Tilly and Ellen Burstyn with no excess emoting. They both looked young for the movie date ('94); anyone know how long this sat on the shelf before release?
As an artist I really connected with this film. Meg Tilly did a sensitive, perceptive job of portraying a contemporary young artist.