BLINDNESS

BLINDNESS

Dir. Fernando Meirelles

Starring - Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover, Alice Braga, Sandra Oh

Opens September 26, 2008

Blindness is the new film from the acclaimed director of City of God and The Constant Gardner. Based on the novel by Jose Saramago, the story of a city suddenly inflicted by "white blindness". Julianne Moore stars as a woman who becomes the only one who can see. Keeping her sight a secret, she helps the afflicted escape quarantine.

Early buzz from the premiere at Cannes last May praises Meirelles' direction, yet finds issues with the script. Critic Dave Calhoun of Time Out London said, "But it’s the script that’s lacking: as a parable for a society – both its working and its failings – Blindness works only in fits and starts and relies too much on events and too little on ideas."

At one point, it was thought that this could be the film to garner Moore her fifth Oscar nomination, though those hopes are quickly fading. Still, the concept seems fascinating and I'll see pretty much anything helmed by Meirelles.