Blindness

(Canada/Brazil/Japan, 2008, 121 minutes)

A mysterious epidemic of an inexplicable blindness overcomes a large metropolis; for some reason, only the wife of the doctor who first diagnosed it is unaffected, but still she accompanies her husband into a quarantine facility where life slowly becomes hell. Stylish but bleak apocalyptic allegory, based on an acclaimed novel deemed unfilmable; it's a brave but cold effort, with the excellent, well-crafted visuals overruling any sort of emotion.

Focus Features International presents, in association with Alliance Films, Fox Film, Gaga Communications, Asmik Ace Entertainment, IFF/CINV, Téléfilm Canada, ANCINE and Potboiler Productions, with the participation of TY, Corus Entertainment, Fiat, BNDES, Paulínia Magia do Cinema and C&A, a Rhombus Media/O2 Filmes/Bee Vine Pictures production. Starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Yusuke Iseya, Yoshino Kimura, Don McKellar, Maury Chaykin, Mitchell Nye; with Danny Glover; and Gael García Bernal. Directed by Fernando Meirelles; produced by Niv Fichman, Andréa Barata Ribeiro, Sonoko Sakai; screenplay by Don McKellar, based on the novel by José Saramago, Blindness; music by Marco Antônio Guimarães/Uakti; director of photography (Technicolor/Megacolor), César Charlone; production designer, Tulé Peake; costume designer, Renée April; film editor, Daniel Rezende.