At First Sight
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Movie Reviews of At First Sight
Movie Review: Kilmer Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
Val Kilmer turns in yet another stunning performance in this film. His intensity and talent are amazing. A must see!Movie Review: WOW... Tow Thumbs UP !
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the Best. I MEAN THE BEST. You wont find a Better movie than thisMovie Review: Length not a real issue in the end.
Summary: 4 Stars
In watching "At First Sight," I found myself somewhat put off by the length that the movie takes in delivering its story. I was also vastly moved by the emotion and exceptional talent that the story and the actors have in creating it to life. In reaching the end of the movie, I found that even though it did seem lengthy in certain places, I was more than willing to watch the two incredible leads take us through an emotionally empowering experience that will have you seeing things in new lights. Based on a story by Oliver Sacks about a real-life couple, the story begins when construction designer Amy decides to take a vacation from work and go to a health and beauty spa for the weekend. Driving along snowy roads, she arrives that same night, and the next morning, she goes in for a therapeutical massage. Not only is the massage therapist a blind man named Virgil, but he is also able to make her cry not five minutes into the session, and from this moment on, the two become inseparable. Upon returning to the city, Amy comes across the name of a doctor who wishes to restore site to someone willing to be the first for the surgery.
Up until this point, the story has already built up a momentus amount of emotions, most of them happy in relation to the budding relationship between Amy and Virgil, and a small amount of grief when we realize the pain the Virgil went through in the early years of his life as his father tried everything to get his son to see. Virgil's simple yet complex view upon the world is, at times, tear-jerking, especially in the abandoned building of his town where he and Amy escape to listen to the rain. This is one of the most moving moments of the film, because it shows that even though he is a blind man, he can take something as simple as rain and read so much into what he hears from it.
Virgil agrees to go through with the surgery, with some hesitation. He has normal fears about the repercussions of the procedure, as well as feeling that his life is normal the way it is, and is not hampered by his disability. After the surgery, when the bandages are removed, everyone involved in his life realizes that it is going to take so much more for Virgil to get used to the ability of sight because of his life's experiences as a blind man. He has no sense of depth perception, color, or what things are. He is used to feeling things and reading Braille, and soon, Amy realizes that it is more taxing on her life than she originally thought it would be.
The basis for this story is truly moving, and it makes for a very emotional experience that packs pure satisfaction in matters of the heart. The way in which this disability affects these two peoples' lives is truly authentic, going through situations from Virgil's learning to read and comprehend different aspects of his vision while Amy goes through emotions of stress and heartache until she comes to the realization that Virgil is the only person in her life that she truly needs.
There is an instant connection between these two characters that the film is able to keep solidly fused throughout the entire plot. Amy and Virgil are able to make it through good times and bad, and their emotion becomes the centerpiece for the entire story. I found myself crying in places I never expected to, laughing in all the right places, and feeling nothing but happiness and an uplifted spirit after it was all over. We are able to feel everything that the characters feel, while also going through the experiences and emotions they do right along with them.
The running time for this movie may seem a bit tedious for those unwilling to sit through a long love story, and some scenes do tend to drag out a bit. It takes a full hour before Virgil is able to see, and that first hour is spent going through the motions of the building romance, the hesitation, the aspect of living life blind. If the operation had taken place at least fifteen minutes earlier, then the film would not be hampered by this. Nonetheless, the second half of the movie is worth waiting for, and if you're a true romance buff, then you won't mind watching the whole thing and enjoying it.
There is a remarkable cast for this film, with some big name, award-winning stars leading the way. Val Kilmer is a truly magnificent Virgil, and while he plays the physical aspect of being blind quite authentically, he is also able to embody emotion and strength into his character's mental state. Mira Sorvino plays one of her best roles ever as Amy, the highly emotional woman who comes into Virgil's life. This performance marks her as one of the most believable and true actresses of our time, and she proves this when she cries and laughs and expresses her love for Virgil in various ways. Kelly McGillis plays Virgil's sister, who becomes slightly jealous of the fact that her brother no longer depends on her with Amy in his life. Nathan Lane brings his wit and charm to the movie as a teacher for the blind who reverses his teachings in trying to help Virgil understand what he is seeing.
"At First Sight" tells a harrowing story of the receipt of the gift of sight, and that it's a gift that takes getting used to. Through the experiences of the characters, we learn that to see with the eyes is nothing compared to when we see things with the human heart.
Movie Review: Seeing is believing
Summary: 4 Stars
"At First Sight" is based on the true story of a man who was blind for nearly his entire life due to cataracts and retinitis pigmentosa before having his sight temporarily restored. Based on an essay by British neurologist Oliver Sacks (who also penned Awakenings), the film follows stressed-out New York architect Amy (Mira Sorvino) as she attempts to "relax" at a weekend spa retreat. At the reception desk, she frowns at the list of activities and settles on daily massages instead. At her first session, she meets Virgil (Val Kilmer), a man with a truly magic touch. To her embarrassment, Amy breaks down crying as someone actually takes the time to touch her for the first time in a long time. Virgil, blind since childhood, excels as a massage therapist and enjoys hockey. Sensitive, constantly smiling and outgoing, he doesn't view blindness as a disability. Amy and Virgil begin seeing each other, but his prickly, overprotective sister Jennie keeps reminding her of Virgil's limitations as a blind man.
When Amy returns to New York and finds a doctor that is a pioneer in restoring vision, she urges Virgil to consider having the operation. This is the start of a very honest and painful dialog between Virgil, Jennie, and Amy; as a child, Virgil was subjected to every manner of faith healing in an attempt to cure his blindness. The remainder of the film deals with the aftermath of the surgery and the strain that Virgil's newfound sight places on his and Amy's relationship. After being blind for decades, Virgil's brain is unable to cope with the new flood of visual input, and he is only able to "see" by touch for the first few days. It's a refreshing twist on Hollywood portrayals of narrators succumbing to blindness and the sentiment of "Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Instead, director Irwin Winkler and the gorgeous cinematography by John Seale paint Virgil's world of darkness in terms of touch, sound (the gorgeous rainstorm that allows Virgil to "see" Amy puts Daredevil (Director's Cut)'s CGI rain effect to shame!!) and smell (Virgil initially describes Amy as smelling like cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, to which his sister says it sounds like he's describing a coffeecake). His post-op world is one of blurry, super-saturated colors, sudden movements, and confusion, and similar to Asperger's Syndrome, Virgil has to learn to "read" facial expressions and visual cues.
Winkler deftly balances the romantic story with the medical one, although the film feels a touch long and could have benefitted from some editing (I wasn't crazy about Nathan Lane's cameo, although I love him in other films such as The Birdcage ). Kilmer handles pre- and post-op Val with tenderness and insight; as a blind man, he relies on his other senses like touch and hearing to guide him, but sight proves more treacherous and difficult than living in a familiar world of darkness. Sorvino's Amy was sweet and supportive, although at times she has difficulty understanding why Virgil would choose his old life over his new one. The beautiful visual metaphors and the love theme "Love Is Where You Are" by Diana Krall only add to the tender appeal of "At First Sight."
Movie Review: Some Wonderful Moments in a So-So Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This could have been such a good movie. Actually, there is a really good movie here surrounded by an extra hour of poorly written, manufactured hollywood melodrama. It's "inspired by" a real-life couple in an article by Oliver Sacks, as was "Awakenings" - one of my favorite movies, with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams.
The first half-hour has some of the most wonderfully romantic and sensual (PG-13) scenes that I've ever seen. Mira Sorvino is really good, showing her broad range of acting skills after the terrific "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997) and her great part in "Mighty Aphrodite" (1995). Val Kilmer is adequate - not great, but much better than some of the reviewers have stated here.
So if you can overlook the hollywood crap that's forced into many of the later scenes (I've actually watched it twice, fast-forwarding through the objectionable scenes the second time), this film is definitely worth a look.