Blind Horizon

"Blind Horizon", an amnesia action/mystery with some 'big name' stars, went straight to DVD without ever being theatrically released, so many have 'written it off' as a lousy film; but if you give it a chance, this is actually a very entertaining little gem! Directed by Michael Haussman, the distributor, Lion's Gate, dissatisfied with the rambling 'director's cut', brought in ace film editor Alain Jakubowicz to punch up the film, and his re-cut gives the movie an edgy, fast-paced 'look', reminiscent of Christopher Nolan's "Memento", especially in the central portrayal of Val Kilmer's "Frank Kavanaugh". A likable 'lost soul', shot and left to die in the desert, who knows vague details of a plot to assassinate the President, he gradually discovers he is not a 'nice' person, and is, in fact, a key player in the high-level conspiracy. But as with Harrison Ford, in "Regarding Henry", his amnesia offers him an opportunity to 'change' his whole persona...if he can survive the attempts to silence him, and conquer his own instincts as a 'hit man'.

Blessed with a first-rate cast, "Blind Horizon" offers many intriguing supporting portrayals, from a likable local sheriff (Sam Shepard), and his politically ambitious deputy (Noble Willingham), to the mysterious 'fiance' (Neve Campbell) Kavanaugh can't seem to remember, and the beautiful nurse (Amy Smart), he'd LIKE to know better, to a mysterious 'contact' (Faye Dunaway), who drifts in and out of his dreams, with missing pieces of the puzzle. Kilmer is, as always, eminently watchable, capturing both the innocent and unsavory sides of Kavanaugh very effectively, and making his climactic actions worth waiting for.

Of special note is the film score, written by the collective group of composers, Machine Head. Working with non-traditional instruments, the 'sound' is both musical and mysterious, and ideally suits the film's ambiguity.

"Blind Horizon" certainly deserves a look, as a film far better than it's ill-fated history would indicate. I enjoyed it, and I think you will, too!

Don't let the rating of the IMDb fool you. This is truly a great movie, very comparable to Blood Simple. Both movies revolve around a magnificent representation of small town southern US, and the setting plays a huge role in both.

The acting is peerless in this film, with Val Kilmer at his finest and notable supporting performances by Sam Shephard, Amy Smart and Neve Campbell. I would imagine most people who voted poorly for this movie were put off by it's slower pace but to myself, it was sheer magic. This movie hits every right note.

Val Kilmer plays Frank Kavanaugh, a man who wakes up in a border town with amnesia after being shot in the head. The rest of the movie is Frank recalling tiny glimpses of his memory brought on by sudden triggers involving the President of the United States, scenes of violence, and mental images of people and places. Neve Campbell plays Kilmer's suspicious wife, Amy Smart is Frank's nurse and Shephard plays the small town sheriff investigating Frank's shooting.

The difference in this movie and some of the big budget Hollywood films is how they manage to capture some of the smaller scenes so right. The seedy bars, the desolation, the cheap hotels, the small hospital. Incredible and has to be seen for that direction alone.

If you are a fan of truly great direction on a lower budget film with grittiness, plot twists and amazing performances then look no further. This is your movie.

Classify it under "The Hidden Gems" category.

Blind Horizon makes two mistakes, that are often typical of the thriller genre: a) the plot is convoluted and b) is comes with a conventional third act twist which is predictable. This, and maybe one too make artsy montages taking up screen time, keeps Blind Horizon far from the level of greatness, but then again, it's kind of a B-movie. As far as indie thrillers go, this one is not too bad. It presents us with three or four interesting characters, well acted, with subtlety. Too bad the screenplay doesn't choose to invest much time with them. The only one who is considered important is that who Val Kilker plays.

Frank lies face down in the New Mexico desert when the curtain rises after the title sequence. He is taken to the hospital in the nearby town of Black Point. He is in a coma, but wakes up the next day. He does not remember a thing. Well...there is one thing he seems pretty sure of. He is convinced that in five days the president is gonna be assassinated in this very town. He does not know who will be committing this heinous crime, but he is desperate to get some answers.

The film is directed with a good level of subtlety. It's intention is to be as subjective as possible, as it tries to emphasize Frank's conflict with his own mind. It is profound, but despite its seeming mystery, the screenplay doesn't quite cover up as much as it thinks. It doesn't really require paying much attention in order to see where the film is going, and the implication given the way the answers are revealed in act three suggests that we are meant to be surprised, (then again maybe not, could the makers be this dumb?)

Blind Horizon, does not amount to a whole heck of a lot, but I enjoyed it. It is eerie, kind of interesting, and the three leads have a credible screen presence.

Frank (Val Kilmer) is a lonely man with no identity who loses his records and suffers amnesia after being wounded in the desert of New Mexico. He has visions about a truck accident, hit men , explosion and snipers. He's attended in a hospital of a small town by a beautiful nurse (Amy Smart) and a doctor (Gil Bellows). Meanwhile, the town sheriffs (Sam Shepard , Noble Willinghan) are investigating the strange deeds. And there appears a mysterious girl (Neve Campbell) reclaiming to be his fiancée. Events go wrong and he realizes he can be a murderer has been hired to kill the US President . He must find a way to find out the enigma. The enemy is within. The enemy in me. He's lost his identity... next it may be his life.

This Neo-noir film packs action, suspense, thrills , shoot-outs and exciting scenes . The main and secondary casting give a first class performance . Kilmer as a hapless without memory is cool , he's the first among equal from extraordinary cast , such as Sam Shepard as an obstinate deputy , Giancarlo Esposito as a stubborn journalist and Faye Dunaway as shifty woman, among others. The film is slickly paced in original manner by means of several flashbacks, puzzles , jigsaw and with a pretentious plot , that's why it results to be a little confusing. It contains thrilling action set pieces as the spectacular gun-play proceeded in a tumultuous square where comes the US President. There's a little homage by paying tribute to the Mexican wrestling genre when the starring enters at a cinema theatre while showing the film titled 'Santo faces death' (1969) directed by Orozco and starred by Santo and Frank Braña . The film is produced in middling budget by Milennium, as usual, producers Avi Lerner, Danny Lerner, Trevor Short and Boaz Davison. The motion picture was professionally directed by Michael Haussman at his film debut and only movie. Although sometimes is dull and boring, the superb cast, relentless intrigue and fascinating thriller make this one well worth seeing.

I noticed a lot of people saying the plot in this movie is too complicated. Perhaps. If you go to see a movie for simplicity and lots of action. If that's the case, this movie isn't for you. However, if you like to work things out in your mind while you watch an enjoyable storyline and deep plot; then look no further. I'm surprised this movie didn't get higher marks -as surprised as I am that it wasn't showcased more with other mainstream movies. With names like Val Kilmer, Amy Smart, and Neve Campbell. I enjoyed every second of this film and I think it's well worth seeing at least once to see of you agree.

Performances by the cast were right on the money. I read someone putting Amy Smart down for her hair being less that glamorous... OH BROTHER. Don't know many nurses that work the late shift, eh? Besides it was fine and she still looks cute. Neve, on the other hand WAS gorgeous with a cute bob. However, appearances don't matter in this film. They all did a great job. OK, maybe Sam Shepard phoned his role in... but he was highly believable and a small town sheriff.

Val Kilmer was awesome in his quirky way. He made you believe he really did have amnesia. You could definitely tell where he put his own nuances to the role. He's quite a perfectionist... and a genius.

The directing was well-placed. There were other stories to tell for such a small town and this movie showed them all without leaving the central theme. The mystery unravels bits and pieces at a time; like it should and you never REALLY know for sure what's going to happen next. Terrific! I voted 9/10 because I haven't seen such a tremendous film so well hidden before. You be your own judge, but definitely give this film in the shadows a try.