Blindness

Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Sandra Oh, Maury Chaykin
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: When a plague of blindness strikes an urban area, a husband (Mark Ruffalo) is affected, but his wife (Julianne Moore) is not. When authorities take him into quarantine, his wife pretends to be blind as well. In the quarantine facility, the blind inhabitants soon descend into chaos, as certain groups take control of the food and distribute it in exchange for money or sex.

Review:

Tim: I was interested in seeing this movie because it seemed like a small, original, gritty movie that was unlike most of the films rolling out of Hollywood today. This is all true- the movie is quite unique, oftentimes very difficult to watch, and has some memorable moments. However, I was disappointed that I didn't like it more. Yes, the movie is solidly made, oftentimes powerful, but as a whole, I just expected more. I want to clarify that I like this movie, but I wasn't blown away as I was hoping.

The cast is fairly good. I like the casting of Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. Both are exceptional actors, and they give good performances here. The problem is that neither of their characters was particularly likeable. This movie is based on an allegorical novel of the same name, and in the book and the movie, the characters remain nameless. I like the idea here, but it prevented us from really making any connections with a single character int he movie. Danny Glover has a small role, and I did like seeing him on screen. Sandra Oh was also in the film, although I'm not sure why. She has almost no screen time, and her role was completely worthless. I wonder if additional scenes were left on the cutting room floor. The cast is good, but they are held back from being outstanding.

This movie has some powerful scenes. Many of these are just difficult to watch, as we see ordinary people quickly descend into savagery and madness. It was hard to watch because it shows the truly ugly side of humanity. What was most scary of this is that it holds the mirror up to that side of humanity we don't like to admit exists. However, when we have the courage to confront that truth, I think we realize the events of this movie aren't far fetched at all. It is difficult to see humans being terrible to humans, and for that reason, this movie occasionally made me sad. I suppose that is what it set out to do.

Blindness works best when you watch it as an allegory or parable. Watching it as a straightforward movie for entertainment purposes is where it begins to fall apart. It works as a commentary on humanity's dark side and how we react in terrible situations, but works less so purely as a movie. This is the film's biggest weakness. The film is quite unconventional, as director Fernando Meirelles gives us some interesting camera angles and cinematography, giving the audience an idea of what this experience might have been like for the characters. This is a movie unlike the majority out there, and when you add up all the strengths and weaknesses, the positives slightly outweigh the negatives.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 28 Days Later, The Day After Tomorrow, Freedomland, Reservation Road