‘Blindness’ to Open Cannes?
By Craig Kennedy - April 29th, 2008; 7:56 am
There was some head scratching when the Cannes lineup was announced recently and Fernando Meirelles’ drama Blindness was nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, Hollywood Reporter’s Steven Zeitchik speculated it would ultimately be chosen to fill the vacant opening or closing spots.
Variety reports this morning that the drama about an epidemic of blindness starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo is indeed “being strongly tipped to open” the festival and that British director Steve McQueen’s Hunger will kick off the Un Certain Regard section.
Said to be “very out-there,” Hunger tells the story of the last days of Bobby Sands, an imprisoned member of the IRA on a hunger strike in the early ’80s.
Filed under: Film Festivals, Rumors
My brother first told me about Blindness last year – the book, not the movie, and it sounded really interesting. That it’s directed by Meirelles interested me, and I love Ruffalo, but I CANNOT STAND Julianne Moore, and have been sniffing at this ever since I learned she was involved.
I read Blindness when I heard the film was to be made, last year June, and if the film is as good as the book – we are in for a treat.
I’m gonna back you on this Daniel, Julianne Moore is talented, but she’s one of a number of acclaimed actresses whose beginning to irritate me by essentially playing the same dignified, boring character over and over. Because she was acclaimed in several roles, we just roll that acclaim over into the next role with little thought. But something needs to be shaken up.
Then there’s the inevitable “women have no roles in movies” counter, which is valid, but that doesn’t change the essential truth, Moore has been boring for a while.
You’ve defined it much more eloquently than me, Chuck, and I value your backing. She has her fans and I don’t discount them, but one day I sat down and decided I just found her intolerable in almost everything going back 15 years, including some of my favorite movies, like Magnolia. I can’t really put my finger on it. I think she’s at her best in Far From Heaven, but I usually imagine her like her character in Freedomland (literally, one of the Top 5 movies I’ve ever seen) – unstable and crying.
That’s not really a valid reason to cringe when I hear her name, but I never said I had one.
Agreed, Nick. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this one. The book is a difficult one to adapt and I hope it’s been done successfully. I have great love and respect for Meirelles.
Daniel, please never start a comment with “My brother”. My eye goes from your name to it and suddenly Elton John is playing in my head :-)
I’ve got to agree with Chuck and Daniel. For some reason, no actress has seemingly squandered her talents more in the last decade than Julianne Moore. Firstly by showing up in quite a few lousy movies, and secondly by generally giving the same basic performance over and over. Back in late ‘02 and early ‘03, perhaps between The Hours and Far From Heaven, I thought she could possibly become the best “younger” actress out there, but for some reason she’s never broken out and several of her recent performances cast a new and at the very best somewhat unflattering light on her older performances for me. At least she’s more nuanced and doesn’t seem to just grab big paychecks ala Halle Berry (Chuck and I share similar sentiments about her as well).
We must be watching a different actress because I find her work consistently outstanding. In fact, her presence is a reason for me to consider watching a film I might otherwise be indifferent to. It’s funny how people can have such dramatically different responses to the same performances.
All this talk of Blindness the book, together with Sam’s earlier heralding of the author, has me keen on getting it.
I did like her take on Joan Baez in I’m Not There, that’s for sure. So there’s that.
I’m looking forward to discussing I’m Not There with everyone. I want to watch it a second time before jumping in.
I’m not ready to jump off the Moore bandwagon just yet, though don’t ask me to mount a defense of her.
Switching gears to Meirelles, am I the only one who really liked Constant Gardner? Taken as some kind of political message movie it didn’t do anything for me, but as a love story, I was quite taken by it.
You are most definitely not alone, Craig. The politics of it seemed a little too paranoid (not that I doubt that corporations can be evil and so on). I was completely absorbed in its love story which, unlike the romance subplot of most thrillers, seemed very real. I can completely understand the attraction between the main characters, their quiet drifting apart, and the bond that ultimately brings them back together. Fiennes and Weisz were fantastic, along with the supporting cast. The film also creates a very real, detailed setting. Great music (fantastic score by Iglesias and songs by Ayub Ogada) and cinematography (Cesar Charlone of City of God).
Meirelles is one of my favorite active directors. Although the trailer for Blindness isn’t so great, I’m looking forward to it based on his involvement and the great leads. Though I’d admit Julianne Moore has been playing variations on the same character in most of her films, she’s a skillful actress. For recent evidence of this, look no further than Children of Men. Small role, big presence.
lol, just saw your plea for appropriate language, sartre. Now I’ve got the song in my head.
Blindness is in, along with the new James Gray and Laurent Cantet films. Plus, two new jurors!
http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/screengrab/archive/2008/04/29/cannes-2008-late-breaking-news.aspx
We’re on the same page with Gardner WJ. I found the emotional part of it to be devastating.
Paul, I loved your reference in the Cannes post.
Craig~~
I originally included a picture of Fred as Mike, but I decided against it. Better to let the fans pick up on it themselves.
You did the right thing. I kinda blew it for you though, didn’t I?
Yeah, but that’s only for the people who read both LiC and SG. It’ll still be a surprise for the other two people who read it.
I amended my comment, so now there will maybe be one more.