| BLINDNESS |
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| Written by Joseph B. Mauceri | |
| Friday, 03 October 2008 | |
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Miramax Films Release Synopsis: One man is instantaneously struck blind while driving home from work, his whole world suddenly turned to an eerie, milky haze. One by one, each person he encounters – his wife, his doctor, even the seemingly good Samaritan who gives him a lift home – will in due course suffer the same unsettling fate. As the contagion spreads, and panic and paranoia set in across the city, the newly blind victims of the “White Sickness” are rounded up and quarantined within a crumbling, abandoned mental asylum, where all semblance of ordinary life begins to break down. But inside the quarantined hospital, there is one secret eyewitness: one woman (Julianne Moore) who has not been affected but has pretended she is blind in order to stay beside her beloved husband (Mark Ruffalo). Armed with increasing courage and the will to survive, she will lead a makeshift family of seven people on a journey, through horror and love, depravity and beauty, warfare and wonder, to break out of the hospital and into the devastated city where they may be the only hope left. BLINDNESS is a compelling story of humanity in the grip of an epidemic of mysterious blindness. It is an unflinching exploration of human nature, both bad and good--people's selfishness, opportunism, and indifference, but also their capacity for empathy, love and sheer perseverance. (Provided by Studio) CREW: Director - Fernando Meirelles; Screenwriter - Don McKellar; Based on the novel by José Saramago; Producers - Niv Fichman, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, & Sonoko Sakai; Cinematography - Cesar Charlone; Production Designer - Tule Peake; Costume Designer - Renee April; Editor - Daniel Rezende; CAST: JULIANNE MOORE… The Doctor’s Wife, MARK RUFFALO… The Doctor; ALICE BRAGA… The Woman With Dark Glasses; YUSUKE ISEYA… The First Blind Man; YOSHINO KIMURA… The First Blind Man’s Wife; MAURY CHAYKIN… The Accountant; DANNY GLOVER… The Man with the Black Eye Patch; GAEL GARCIA BERNAL… Bartender/King of Ward Three; DON McKELLAR… Thief; Official Web Site: www.blindness-themovie.com Story: $12.00 Direction: $12.00 Acting: $12.00 Editing: $11.00 Production Design: $12.00 Special Effects: $12.00 Score/Music: $12.00 Costumes: $12.00 "REEL" Value: $11.88 * = Fernando Meirelles’ cinematic adaptation of BLINDNESS is a truly exceptional, inspired, and emotionally powerful science fiction allegory, worthy of classic status! Review: As the years pass, it becomes clear that there are equally as many outstanding cinematic adaptations of classic science fiction literature as there are awful ones. José Saramago’s novel is one of those epic tales that finds a place in the reader’s psyche, lingering for years to come. I will admit that this was a tale that never crossed my mind as something that would make a great film, given the complex structure of the narrative. Surprisingly, director Fernando Meirelles and screenwriter Don McKellar flex their extraordinary talents and imaginations to bring this truly inspired adaptation to the screen. There are several of my colleagues who are quick to take components of the film’s narrative out of context and compare it to other classic science fiction literature and films. By doing so, I feel, they miss the all encompassing power of this film to draw on a variety of classic elements. It draws from novel “The Lord of the Flies” as much as it does from “28 Days Later.” There are social themes reminiscent of John Wyndham’s “Day of the Triffids” and stylistic aspects of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” These are classic and timeless themes that have resonance in order modern times. Meirelles and McKellar seamlessly integrate those elements into this visual narrative and, much like readers who perceive different levels of a novel, there are many levels to BLINDNESS that enrich the viewers experience. Like the novel, it gives an audience much to discuss afterwards. Director Fernando Meirelles and cinematography Cesar Charlone capture these epic scenes that are contrasted by the decay of the locations and the horrific demise of the characters physical states. These striking images are as emotionally compelling as the works of numerous photographers, such as Andres Serrano. The film is rich with cinematic crescendos that harkens back to Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later.” From the costumes to the effects, everything comes into play to service this tale. Given the limitations of the location, the worst thing that can be said about the film is that it has the feel of a stage production. However, this is an amazing ensemble cast that is hinged on Julianne Moore’s performance. Do we believe this submissive house wife has the inner strength to rise to the challenge of the day, save her husband, and this last bastion of humanity? Moore’s is a slowly building performance that comes in and supports the tale as the other characters succumb to the depression brought on by their blindness. Hers is a refined performance of inner strength that makes her the hero of this epic tale without coming across like Joan of Arc. Given the current social and political turmoil in the world, good art enables us to see things in a different light and possibly find answers we were blind to. But more so with BLINDNESS, it reconnects us to the dormant potentials of our humanity that are anesthetized by our daily routines and work environments. True enough is the saying that “the one-eyed man is king in the land of the blind,” but who are we without our compassion and humanity? BLINDNESS is more than just and eye-opening cinematic experience but offers the audience a soul awakening. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Based on the regular $12.00 ticket prices at a Manhattan theater. |
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