Encontro às Escuras

There are several good, interesting ideas that could have been explored in this movie - one is a blind young man, interested in a serious relationship and wanting to have sex with meaning -- who doesn't view himself as attractive -- and how he goes about pursuing that relationship and what happens along the way. This movie could play as a drama with comedy or a comedy with drama. Another way it could have gone is the experience of a blind young man who undergoes experimental surgery and the outcome and difficulties encountered along the way. More than likely this would be mostly a drama. Finally, there's the relationship between a blind man and a sighted woman, a romance based movie, either drama or comedy, or the relationship between a Caucasian American male and an female of Indian descent from a very traditional Indian family, and the difficulties they would encounter along the way, again a drama with some comedy more than likely.

Unfortunately, this movie overreached it grasp. There were some very good moments: the basketball game with the friend, the parents at the hospital while they await the outcome of the surgery, etc. But the whole isn't even a sum of these parts -- it's a combination of movies that do not cohere in a way that one can call a success.

Its unfortunate: the idea of a romance comedy that isn't simplistic, Boy meets Girl, Boy and Girl find love, encounter hindrance, break-up, but Love Wins Out, is a trite, tired formula. This movie had the promise to be a bit more than that, as DEFINITELY, MAYBE attempted and succeeded earlier this year. A longer running time would have helped and a better screenplay.

The performances was reasonably solid for the budget. Technically, the film is fine, location wise and situation some interesting choices. The biggest weakness is the plot, story and script.

Chris Pine deserves some better roles, to see what he can actually make with something more complex and intelligent. Some excellent character actors are wasted, although their performances are fine. There are some unfortunate and unnecessary stereotypes with both the Indian characters and the females set-ups that the Larry character attempts to hook up with Chris Pine's role as Danny.

I really wanted to like this movie. Chris Pine is adorable and gives an appealing performance as a blind man looking for love. It's such a compelling story - how can you not root for this guy? But the movie doesn't know how to pick a tone! First, it's a raunchy, sexed-up comedy, with Danny's therapist stripping down to her underwear for no discernible reason and one of his blind dates pushing his face into her breasts and another doing a completely unsexy strip tease, which, of course, he can't see. Meanwhile, he's fallen in love with the lovely receptionist at his doctor's office, where he is contemplating an experimental surgery to partially restore his sight. It's like there were two movies that got crammed into one. The first is aimed at teenage boys and the other is aimed at people like me, who actually like movies about real people and real emotions. If you can ignore the sophomoric stuff, it's not a bad romance. And I guess if you just came for the breasts, there's enough of those for you. But it could have been a far better movie if they had just decided which one they wanted to make.

Danny Valdessecchi (Chris Pine) is blind and everybody likes him. Girls think he's hot and his psychiatrist Dr. Evans (Jane Seymour) can't stop stripping in front of him. His inappropriate limo-driving brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) keeps trying to set him up to lose his virginity. He volunteers for experimental brain surgery to regain his eyesight. Leeza (Anjali Jay) is the new receptionist at the medical office. She has been promised to a traditional East Indian arranged marriage.

Chris Pine is an appealing photogenic guy. Brother Larry and the various girls seem to be trying for a wacky comedy. It's not done that well but it looks worst next to the humorless Leeza. There is next-to-no chemistry between her and Danny. She might as well be in another movie from a stripping Jane Seymour. This movie has split personality and they don't get along. Instead of trying to give Leeza her own dramatic story, the movie should try harder to incorporate her into his drama and give her some fun.

Reading the title and seeing the cover made me think this was one of those "American Pie" movies. En contraire mes amis, this movie made me laugh and feel sad at the same time.

The story of Danny's life (pretty darn well written) was touching. The story tells you how wonderful and sad true love can be at the same time. It makes you feel how less fortunate people go through life.

This movie is pure human, and that's what I liked about it.

If you like a good story with some funny and touching moments, I would definitely recommend this one as it's one of the better ones I've seen out there.

The title and cover of this DVD suggest a film that is more fluff than substance. But don't be fooled by these clues. BLIND DATING is a well-written (Christopher Theo), well-directed (James Keach - brother of Stacy Keach and husband of Jane Seymour) story about the coping of the visually impaired, the quirks of Italian and Indian families, brotherhood, and the gamut of finding the right partner in a world of essential blind dating! One of the reasons the movie works so well is the ability of actor Chris Pine to make us believe he is blind and convey the positive manner in which people with impairments 'view' those around them.

Danny (Chris Pine) was born prematurely and as a result is blind, and as he grows toward age 21 he feels he is unattractive to women. His family is warm, loving and Italian and supportive - especially his brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) who runs a Limo service and is constantly trying to find Danny his first physical encounter, be that with hookers, girls from the office or neighborhood, or just referrals - each of whom is a disaster when it comes to dealing with a date who is blind! Danny discovers an operation that implants a camera-like contraption in his brain that will allow him the possibility to see again, even if the images are simply black and white and indistinct. In the office of ophthalmologist Dr. Perkins (Stephen Tobolowsky) is a young girl Leeza (Anjali Ray) who is Indian and whose parents have arranged a wedding with a man she does not love. And yes, in time Danny and Leeza are attracted to each other in what appears to be a doomed relationship - for family reasons. Danny has his operation and is able to see some images, but the implant fails and Danny once again is without sight - but far from being without hope, as both his and Leeza's families undergo changes of heart.

There is a sense of love that emanates from the screen, due in part to the script, the direction, and to the acting. Chris Pine is exceptionally fine in a challenging role, finding the balance between courage, comedy, and tenderness that make his character believable and lovable, and never once making a move that breaks his image as a sightless person. The entire cast is fine, including a hilarious Jane Seymour as Dr. Evans, Chris' therapist with a penchant for disrobing in front of her sightless patient! But the aspect of the film that sets it apart from many is the presentation of everyday type prejudices that can be every bit as hampering as a physical impairments! This is a warmhearted, very human comedy with many messages. Grady Harp