Monday, February 18, 2008

We Can't Wait #5 Blindness

Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener)
Starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal and Danny Glover
Based on the international bestseller Blindness by José Saramago which is about an epidemic of blindness known as "the white sickness" and societal breakdowns that follow.
Brought to you by Miramax
Expected Release Date August 8th, 2008

seeing eye woman ~ the doctor's wife (Julianne Moore) guides the doctor (Mark Ruffalo)

Nathaniel: So...hands up. Did you read the book? Is the White Sickness the most terrifying thing you can imagine? I was riveted by the novel and when I heard they were making a movie I was startled by the audacity. How do you make a movie this filled with psychic terror and total collapse of civilization and, well, lots of shit (literally)... and make it palatable as a movie? Or will this be Children of Men part 2: a vision of an apocalypse that seems plausible even in its scientific surrealness due to its artistic confidence?

Am I making any sense?

Glenn: I have not read the book, but, as of right now after two great movies, I'll follow Fernando Meirelles anywhere... and, apparently, that includes rooms full of feces! It may be a stretch for mainstream audiences, but at least there are directors willing to make movies like this. The mainstream can have Academy Award-nominees like Norbit, and we can have movies like Blindness and, ya know what? I'm alright with that.

Joe: Yeah, I have had Children of Men thoughts with regard to this movie, too. Which is odd, because you'd think Julianne Moore wouldn't carry such a strong through-line. I haven't read the book, and I can't say the "lots of shit" thing is making me more likely to see it, but of all the films set to be released this year, this one boasts the best premise-to-director-to-stars ratio, so shit be damned, I'm super excited for it. I guess I'm hoping it will be for Mierelles what Children of Men was for Cuaron -- an audacious step up for a director who's already impressed us quite a bit.

Gabriel: Never read the book, never heard of the book. But it hardly matters with a lineup like this one. In my book, Meirelles has yet to miss, and this material and this cast seem a no-brainer. (Of course, the road to cinematic hell is paved with can't-miss projects, right?)

MaryAnn: The more I hear about it, the more I can't wait to see it.

Nathaniel: Want to hear more about it? For what it's worth I've had TFE reader Felippe translate some of Fernando Meirelles portugese blog entries about the making of this movie so you know I'm anxious. Another one of those paraphrasals is coming next week which should bring us up to date on the director's blogging. But for those who "can't wait" (oh for annoying repetition) for more translations, Cinemascope transferred a recent fascinating post about the editing of the picture into English here.

*
the countdown
#1 Synecdoche, New York / #2 Burn After Reading / #3 Australia / #4 Milk / #5 Blindness / # 6 Doubt / #7 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button / #8 Revolutionary Road / #9 The Dark Knight / #10 Sex & The City: The Movie / #11 The Lovely Bones / #12 Wall-E / #13 Stop-Loss / #14 The Women / #15 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince / Introduction / Orphans
*

22 comments:

NicksFlickPicks said...

Is 5 the new 1? Cuz I have a hard time thinking of four movies I'm more excited about. Or even 2 movies. And I didn't even love City of God or Constant Gardener.

Anonymous said...

I have much faith about this proyect. Fernando Meirelles is a incredible director with a great future and important presence from Latin America to the World... I love City of God and The Constant gardener (How the Academy couldn't give the principal nominations for Best Picture, Director and Best Actor to ralph Fiennes and Crash do it and even winning two masterpieces like Brokeback Mountain and Munich)

I think Julianne Moore will win her Oscar finally!!. Nominations in (Obviously) Best Actress, best Directing, Directing, Editing, Cinematography, Sound and Supporting Actor to Gael Garcia Bernal (He was deserved a long time ago) and maybe Best Actor/Supporting Actor to Mark Ruffalo, Best Supporting Actress to Sandra Oh (If Ruby Dee has nomination for a small and ordinary role Why not her?) and even Best Picture

Anonymous said...

Loooved this book (and Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ - another masterwork). Love this cast (looove Moore). Really enjoy this director. Sooo excited.

Anonymous said...

My most anticipated of 2008 foh su!

RJ said...

I love City of God. I adore The Constant Gardener. I love Children of Men. Do the math.

RJ said...

What can possibly be numbers 1-4?

Anonymous said...

I think you should take side NOW. Don't root for Streep's this Oscar. Don't root for Winslet's first. No matter who will deliver the better acting (Nobody will top Moore here, I think), you KNOW who deserves it. Its NOR or NEVER. (or supportive mommy supporting Oscar).

- cal roth

Anonymous said...

Now or never, I mean.

Glenn Dunks said...

RJ, I think you'll be slapping your head and shouting "duh!" when Nat posts them.

Anonymous said...

1-4 in no particular order :

Australia (Kidman/Jackman/Luhrmann)
Milk (Penn/Van Sant/gay/Penn gay ?!)
Burn after reading (Clooney/Pitt/McDormand/The Cohens)
Mamma Mia ! (Streep/musical/Streep dancing & singing)

Anonymous said...

Mamma Mia?

Ewwwwwwwwwww!

Nat complains about Blanchett getting all the roles but Streep is even worse. She gets ALL the good roles for women her age and yet, 2007 was a big fat nothing. Weaver put her to shame with the little seen TV Set and the movie isn't even good. I hope Doubt bombs and that old lady stays a few years away from winning another Oscar.

Glenn Close forever for lyfe!

LMAO.

Catherine said...

I can't wait for the post on Australia (I presume there's going to be one). Every single still I see of it makes me swoon.

Sid said...

With Nat and Glenn in the "jury", I'm betting Australia is #1 (as it should be). Milk will probably be #2.

Love me some ABBA and Streep but I really don't expect big things from Mamma Mia -- so I hope it's not on the list!

Anonymous said...

I love the last sentence of the CINEMASCOPE translation:

"... Lucky for us, here we did not have to deal with such catastrophes. We used a trick of the trade which served as a bulletproof vest, a solution which can never disappoint you: Julianne Moore.
The scene sucks and nothing else works? Cut to a close-up of Julianne Moore’s face and stay there. Check Mate."

Julianne will ROCK. please give her the long-overdue Oscar for this film.

Unknown said...

Being a fan of Jose Saramago, I'm REALLY looking forward to this one.
Saramago is amazing and from what I've seen of Meirelles' work, this film has tremendous potential. I wonder if Saramago is being consulted on the screenplay?

P.S.

Unknown said...

Unless this is terrible (which it might be, speaking as someone who disliked City of God and hated The Constant Gardner), if Julianne Moore doesn't win the Oscar next year its NEVER going to happen. Not only does her character carry the entire story (she is pretty much the only one that can see most of the time) but her journey is in many ways more harrowing than anyone else's as she has to literally witness the rapid dissolution of civilization (the already noted tons of shit everywhere for example.

Anonymous said...

And so we have the first english language adaptation of a portuguese masterpiece. Now if only we could convince Peter Jackson to direct "Os Lusiadas"...

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said:
And so we have the first english language adaptation of a portuguese masterpiece. Now if only we could convince Peter Jackson to direct "Os Lusiadas"...

Os Luciadas...hehe...I doubt that will ever come to pass...even The Year of The Death of Ricardo Reis by Saramago, which features the ghost of Camoes, would be a stretch, me thinks.

P.S.

P.S.

Anonymous said...

"I doubt that will ever come to pass". Yeah, I know, I know... But that doesn't prevent me from daydreaming Viggo Mortensen as Vasco da Gama...

Play Dead said...

By Ghost of Camões you mean ghost of Fernando Pessoa..

Adam Cavotta said...

Just watched Blindness, never heard of it until it came on the tube, it captivated me. I immediately assumed that someone involved in the film had also been involved in the making of children of men, but apparently there is no connection. I think the cinematography probably contributed to my assumption. In particular, the end of children of men seemed to be most similar to the way Blindness was shot. When I searched for a hidden connection between the two movies, I came across your blog. Thanks for the post!

Unknown said...

Yes, Fernando Pessoa. Sorry. I just had my photo taken in the chair next to his sculpture in Lisbon.

It is probably a year or more since the release of Blindness and with all this talk of it here, I still have not seen the film!

I'm about to add it to my Netflix queue.