William ArnottBlindness and Elegy
April 8th 2009 09:25
Seen a few weeks ago now was "Blindness", directed by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, who gave us two fine films in the middle of this decade, first with "City of God" and then "The Constant Gardener". Blindness, which is shot in a blaring white tinted palette, tells us of an apocalyptic future like in the tradition of Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later" and Terry Gilliam's "12 Monkeys". In this one everyone is going blind and a group of them have to band together to sort through the chaos. Fine actors are present including Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Latin American stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Alice Braga. Meirelles is a fine filmmaker himself who I think will be always worth a look, however this film is something of a mess. It's a hard one to watch, and while some of the ideas put forward are interesting, maybe one of the better films about being blind perhaps, but this is basically unsatisfying after his previous two triumphs.
2 and a half out of 5.
"Elegy" comes from Spanish director Isabel Coixet, who a few years ago gave us "My Life Without Me" which was not too bad. Elegy stars Penelope Cruz who is seduced by Sir Ben Kingsley's literary professor. The curiosity here is Kingsley who again gets to play something different. Once known for "Ghandi", this decade he has triumphed in "Sexy Beast", "House of Sand and Fog", "The Wackness", and now this little charmer. He and his co-stars who also include Dennis Hopper as a friend who he discusses women matters with, are all in fine form here, and I have to say that this tenderest of films really touches in a sincere way. The film does go on a bit, but it doesn't seem like too much as each moment seems to resonate nicely.
4 out of 5.
2 and a half out of 5.
"Elegy" comes from Spanish director Isabel Coixet, who a few years ago gave us "My Life Without Me" which was not too bad. Elegy stars Penelope Cruz who is seduced by Sir Ben Kingsley's literary professor. The curiosity here is Kingsley who again gets to play something different. Once known for "Ghandi", this decade he has triumphed in "Sexy Beast", "House of Sand and Fog", "The Wackness", and now this little charmer. He and his co-stars who also include Dennis Hopper as a friend who he discusses women matters with, are all in fine form here, and I have to say that this tenderest of films really touches in a sincere way. The film does go on a bit, but it doesn't seem like too much as each moment seems to resonate nicely.
4 out of 5.
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