Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore find romance in ‘Blind’
An advocacy organization has slammed the new movie “Blind” for casting Alec Baldwin as a vision-impaired man.
I’m guessing group members haven’t viewed the finished film, because that seems a little nitpicky considering all the other things wrong with the movie.
Baldwin plays Bill Oakland, an acclaimed novelist who lost his wife and vision in a car accident five years ago. He hasn’t written a book since; instead, he teaches at a university and visits a community center so volunteers can read students’ papers to him.
That’s where Suzanne Dutchman (Demi Moore) comes in. She’s the wife of a white-collar criminal (Dylan
‘Blind’
Director: Michael Mailer. Cast: Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, Dylan McDermott. Rating: Not rated. Note: At Harkins Shea.
McDermott, going way over the top) who is sentenced to community service while her husband serves time. She’s wounded and wan; one longs for the feistiness Moore used to bring to roles.
Bill is initially hostile to Suzanne, because... well, that’s what the script calls for. He is inexplicably irascible, taunting Suzanne about the crimes of her husband. It’s mean-spirited and quite judgmental, but hey, he’s played by Alec Baldwin, so it’s also vaguely charming. Emphasis on “vaguely.”
Suzanne learns that her husband was cheating before his incarceration, so she’s feeling especially vulnerable. Soon, Bill and Suzanne are frolicking in the park and she’s shaving him with a straight razor while jazz piano tinkles on the soundtrack. It was a lot steamier when Naomie Harris did the foamy deed with Daniel Craig in “Skyfall.”
Indeed, the chemistry between Baldwin and Moore is strangely disconnected. The performers aren’t bad, but they don’t generate any kind of heat. Baldwin actually seems more comfortable with Steven Prescod, playing Gavin, a student he mentors. It could be that the two are simply placed in better set-ups. In one sequence, Bill invites him to his apartment; fan-boy Gavin expects some wisdom while Bill wants someone to clean house. It’s funny, and the give-and-take between the actors seems natural and relaxed. Unfortunately, the script by John Buffalo Mailer (son of Norman Mailer) doesn’t offer the performers enough of those moments. Instead, it’s downright trite, with Suzanne donning a green blindfold so she can “see” Bill’s face the same way he views her (big surprise: they both see the other is fragile).
The characters are equally flat and uninspired. Mark, Suzanne’s brute of a husband, is particularly outlandish, like Gordon Gekko on steroids. A big prison fight scene with a hardened Latino inmate (over a brownie?!) is so awful, you almost feel bad for the actor: Do we really need to see Dylan McDermott make a fool of himself?
First-time director Michael Mailer (John’s brother) isn’t any more imaginative. He features a scene in France followed by “La Vie En Rose” on the soundtrack, perfect for the kind of lazy movie that this is.