Imagine

Again, out of nothing I chose to watch to this movie that ended up being a fantastic immersion into a slow pace sensible reality.

The technical features of the film, as intentional creations, say, the increased sounds of the environment are perfect; they invite you to be paying attention to details, no hurry, just feel.

The script though is very simple and with no highly complex layers overlapping, a directional plot being unleashed to the end in a good rhythm.

For these reasons, an 8 could be enough for rating, but I feel that for the urge for more sensible movies such as that, I can give it a 9.

We are all looking at things, and never seeing nothing. ;)

A Church supported clinic for blind children in Lisbon, Portugal hires a teacher, blind himself, who has a radically innovative pedagogical method. Instead of teaching these children to get around with canes, he would train them to imagine their environment and navigate with sound echoes (like bats). English actor Edward Hogg is charismatic and totally realistic in the role of the blind teacher; and the child actors are equally authentic. The film achieves much with a remarkable soundtrack of subtle environmental sounds which takes the viewer right into the minds of these blind children and their teacher. I don't think I've ever seen a film portray what blindness involves as well as this film does. It's a true tour de force by an assured filmmaker, which only falls short story wise when it tries to insert a rather pedestrian love story into an otherwise intriguing premise film.

I saw this film thinking that i was going to see a typical drama movie, but instead i found a heart-warming lesson of life.

He's a teacher who shows to the blind kids how to use their senses instead of their cane, and the funny thing is that he also is blind. He teaches the children to use their imagination to "see" the things around them, to sense with every part of their body without missing the things we usually overlooked because we are just looking not seeing. He later gets into some trouble for his particular way of teaching.

I know this movie isn't gonna like to everybody, but you must give it a chance not just to see it but for the beautiful message in it.

Somewhere in the beautiful, sunny Portugal is a house where the visionless learn how to cope with their disability, guided by a man who has mastered the art of living without using your eyes. For you, as a viewer, it's an interesting venture into the world unknown to you, if only a testimony to what you are taking for granted on a daily basis, and therefore, missing.

Jakimowski has a vision, one he stays to throughout the entire movie, without making it seem stale or boring. There's magic here, and a lesson to be learned. It's a movie with a mission, and whatever that mission could be, it's accomplished; it compels you to listen and open your eyes.

Set in the world of the blind, Imagine is the movie the world of the sighted needs to see.

Avoid like the plague.

Just wanted to write a quick warning, so that you won't be deceived by the hype here, so far. On its favour, I can state the sensibility displayed and the noble cause. And, being a Lisboner myself, it is obviously a very beautiful, soulful and picturesque place to film. Nevertheless, the cinematographer Adam Bajerski did a very interesting job.

OK, that's mostly it. The acting is terrifyingly dull. Starting right with the main actor - I mean, this guy couldn't act if his life depended on it. Cringeworthy. Alexandra Lara, while far from a top-class performer, shows more than enough chops when rightly directed (vide the superb Control). Not the case here. Of course the campy, rather pedestrian dialogue never helps. And its delivery feels ever so awkward, not for once natural or credible. People just don't talk like that. I don't even want to dwell much on the script problems, but why the hell would English, french (and even a German ex-pat) blind children be doing on such a far from luxurious institution in Lisbon? Certainly all the sun and light are not the best treatment for the blind-eye - probably explaining the high blindness rates. You'll very often find yourself bumping into a blind person, whilst walking the streets of Lisbon.

To sum things up, in the hands of the right director this could have definitely been something. Keeping the moody slow rhythm and attention to sounds, but being more demanding with the extras and supporting actors. Even Ian's darker side should have been more wisely explored. Instead you are left with a slow movie, going nowhere, with a somewhat ridiculous script and with weakly handled tension scenes. You'd be better off driving that same 28 tram at the end of the movie and visiting a city far more interesting that its all-too-scenic display.