Sharon Pogue (Lopez) is a cop working the graveyard shift in Chicago. She's lonely, and gets little respect, but holds her own among all male coworkers. One day her life is saved by a mysterious man named Catch (Jim Caviezel). Catch has some deep psychological issues stemming from an event in his past, but is extraordinarily compassionate and good-willed. Sharon has problems of her own. Her abusive father and loving, classic victim mother (Sonia Braga) are renewing their vows, and Sharon must decide whether or not to attend. As Sharon and Catch begin to fall in love, much is revealed about Catch's past, and just how entwined their fates are emerges.

Jennifer is the heart and soul of this movie. She plays the independent woman who is both strong and frail on the inside, as she has done so well in the past. Her eyes say the most about her character; it's her best performance since Selena. The chemistry between Lopez and Caviezel is strong, playful, and totally believable. On its own though, Caviezel's performance is awfully mopey. For half the movie, all he does is look sad, depressed, and tortured with a whole face frown and sad bright blue eyes. His transformation through the second act fares better. In the end, it's unsure which pair of eyes are the angelic ones.

Maybe the studio thinks America isn't ready for a smart movie with smart lines and smart characters, but they are, and smart perfectly describes this movie. Though it lags in spots, and the big secret is pretty apparent to the sharp viewer, Angel Eyes pulls its share of twists and turns. Shot with a dreamy, bleary eye, the camera work is simple and grounded. I like the way the film ends with a note of progress, but no true resolution, and a sappy song that takes us right into the credits.

Angel Eyes was surprising because it was very different from what I expected. It's not the most exciting film, or a film one would necessarily associate with summer, but it has redeeming value and an actual message. Could The Mummy Returns or Tomb Raider possibly say that?