BLINK
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1995 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
BLINK is a very good show with only two things "wrong" with it. First, it is being billed as a thriller. A thriller is something that scares you and, other than a brief pet in danger scene, there is nothing in this show to scare anyone. This is nothing to be ashamed of because it is a excellent mystery with a well laid out plot and characters you really care about. I thought another flaw was the script. I was angry at the writer while seeing the movie in that a key part of the mystery was too obvious. Well, it turns out not to have been obvious after all, and I guessed incorrectly.
Almost everything is right about this show. The plot is fascinating. It is about a woman (Madeleine Stowe) blind for 20 years who undergoes an eye transplant and begins slowly to regain her sight. She sees a serial killer while her eyes are just starting to show her images of a sort. The plot has much more complexity than this but I found this pretty fascinating. Many mysteries have ridiculous endings that spoil the show. This writer clearly had the ending in mind all along and did a good job of it.
The woman is not your stereotype of a blind woman like say Meg Tilly would play one. She is not a humble, frighten woman. She is vulnerable but quite strong and very feisty. She meets and falls for an equally strong headed detective played by Aidan Quinn. They have a stormy but highly realistic romance. The F/M ratio (F-words per minute) is quite high in this show, but like GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, where it reached an all time high, it works. Most shows with high ratios are garbage. The script (Dana Stevens), especially the interplay between the romantic leads, is strong and intelligent.
BLINK was directed by Michael Apted. He directed two of my all time favorite movies, 28 UP and 35 UP. These are documentaries about a group of English people that he has filmed every 7 years since the age of 7. The movies are among the most fascinating and innovative I have ever seen. Sad to say, this director also did Thunderheart which I loathed.
BLINK runs a well paced 1:46. It is rated R for the F-word ratio, nudity, violence, and sex. It would be okay for mature teenagers I think. I recommend the movie to you and award it ***. This movie was a pleasant surprise and I was tempted to rate it a little higher. See it; you will enjoy it.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: January 29, 1994
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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