BLINK is a very good show with only two things "wrong" with it.
First, it is being billed as a thriller. A thriller is something that
scares you and, other than a brief pet in danger scene, there is
nothing in this show to scare anyone. This is nothing to be ashamed of
because it is a excellent mystery with a well laid out plot and
characters you really care about. I thought another flaw was the
script. I was angry at the writer while seeing the movie in that a key
part of the mystery was too obvious. Well, it turns out not to have
been obvious after all, and I guessed incorrectly.
Almost everything is right about this show. The plot is
fascinating. It is about a woman (Madeleine Stowe) blind for 20 years
who undergoes an eye transplant and begins slowly to regain her sight.
She sees a serial killer while her eyes are just starting to show her
images of a sort. The plot has much more complexity than this but I
found this pretty fascinating. Many mysteries have ridiculous endings
that spoil the show. This writer clearly had the ending in mind all
along and did a good job of it.
The woman is not your stereotype of a blind woman like say Meg
Tilly would play one. She is not a humble, frighten woman. She is
vulnerable but quite strong and very feisty. She meets and falls for
an equally strong headed detective played by Aidan Quinn. They have a
stormy but highly realistic romance. The F/M ratio (F-words per
minute) is quite high in this show, but like GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, where
it reached an all time high, it works. Most shows with high ratios are
garbage. The script (Dana Stevens), especially the interplay between
the romantic leads, is strong and intelligent.
BLINK was directed by Michael Apted. He directed two of my all
time favorite movies, 28 UP and 35 UP. These are documentaries about a
group of English people that he has filmed every 7 years since the age
of 7. The movies are among the most fascinating and innovative I have
ever seen. Sad to say, this director also did Thunderheart which I
loathed.
BLINK runs a well paced 1:46. It is rated R for the F-word ratio,
nudity, violence, and sex. It would be okay for mature teenagers I
think. I recommend the movie to you and award it ***. This movie was
a pleasant surprise and I was tempted to rate it a little higher. See
it; you will enjoy it.
Copyright © 1995 Steve Rhodes