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.

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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
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