In the opening shot of the film we see a drive-by murder of a black teenager, a sight that has become all-too real as of late. However, Lila & Eve is not the story of this character: it is the story of his mother.

In an obvious state of grief and despair after losing her son, Lila (Viola Davis) joins a group for mothers who have lost their children. In the group she finds a connection with Eve (Jennifer Lopez), a group outsider who seems to be the most authentic of the bunch. Eve becomes her best form of support and helps her cope with the fact that not only is her son gone, but the authorities will do nothing to help her solve the murder case.

Their friendship takes a more drastic turn when the two take matters into their own hands and start solving the murder themselves, but not without some collateral damage.

While the supporting cast members each get some moments to shine… this is clearly a vehicle for Davis herself, and she is able to find a great deal of range as a woman attempting to take back control over her life.

 

Lila & Eve straddles the line between two different types of films. The first is the grieving mother story and the sincere relationships formed by those willing to support her. The second is the vigilante plot, which shows the dangerous spiral that a quest for vengeance can lead to, and a depiction of catastrophic trauma. The separation between the two works well because Lila’s character manages to keep her personal life separate from being a vigilante, and that is how the film places the two as well.

Elements of the film require some suspension of disbelief, but the viewer must wait until the very end before questioning the leaps in logic: this is because what sometimes seems like a plot gap sometimes pays off deliberately. There are still elements where the film feels implausible, but there is enough weight in the subject matter that it doesn’t detract from the viewing experience.

Lastly, a note on the performances. While the supporting cast members each get some moments to shine, (including Viola Davis’s off-screen husband Julius Tennon as her kind neighbor) this is clearly a vehicle for Davis herself, and she is able to find a great deal of range as a woman attempting to take back control over her life. It can’t be ignored that she’s been typecast in similar grieving mother roles before, but that isn’t to deny that she can drive a film independently. I would like to see her find more roles of this depth in future work. For now, I’m content that Lila & Eve is a unique and entertaining new entry into the crime drama genre.

Lila & Eve opens at Sundance Sunset Cinemas, Laemmle Playhouse 7 and VOD this Friday.