Cut to the Chase: Compelling, creative, and and well worth seeing.
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Jullianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Danny Glover.
By the director of City of God, comes the tale of a city infected by a blinding virus. When the protagonist’s (played by Julianne Moore) husband, an eye doctor (played by Mark Ruffalo) contracts the virus, she goes with him to quarantine, claiming that she too has the virus. When they arrive, they realize that they have been “thrown away”, and will have to fend for themselves. Over time a rift develops between the wards, and the have to learn to survive in more ways than one.
The cinematography is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is occasionally fuzzy, and always drained of color. Occasionally white, allowing only the background to be seen. In any other movie, this would be too much, but it fits almost perfectly here. Really protraying what the blind might be feeling.
The acting is a bit stilted at times, but mostly it is great. Julianne Moore especially did a commendable job, she made you believe in her anger, and in her fear. Gael Garcia Bernal was also a standout. I’m not going to give anything away, but keep an eye out for him.
The story was so affecting the viewer feels the possibility of this happening tomorrow with the same results. If you are confused about blindness being a contageous disease, remember that the blindess is metaphorical, author José Saramago meant Blindness to be an allegory for anything that makes us unable to see the world like we should (ie racism, etc.) So in that sense, perhaps this has already come to pass.The main problem was the seemingly tacked-on Hollywood ending. To have the often heartbreaking story end with even a thin gleam of hope was a cop out, a way to say sorry for whoever may be offended by the film. But when a film’s biggest problem is a happy ending I would say that the film was a success. So unless you are ultra offended by nudity, consider this a strong recommendation to go see Blindness.