Icarus Films stays true to the spirit of its mission of distributing DVDs of innovative and provocative international documentaries in releasing the steamy and thought-provoking 2014 Norwegian drama "Blind" on December 8, 2015. This aptly title stylish film tells the erotic tale of gorgeous blonde Ingrid dealing with the loss of her sight. The regular shifts in time and reality in this creative film guarantees viewers a surreal good time.
The too many to mention major awards for this initial stab at directing by talented screenwriter Eskil Vogt, who also writes the "Blind" script, reflect the unique style and the good substance of the film.
The following YouTube clip of the original (non-subtitled) trailer for "Blind" nicely communicates the beauty and (largely erotic) style of the film despite the language barrier.
The aforementioned non-linear nature of "Blind" make a traditional review of this film, which The Village Voice calls "a haunting puzzle of a movie," a challenge. Attempting to follow the sequence of events and whether they are real is part of the fun of watching this true art house production. The wide range of pornography and the less degree of erotic images of our heroine and her husband further keep the NC-17 experience interesting.
The overall concept of "Blind" is that Ingrid initially notices a slight abnormality in her vision that develops into a progressively severe loss, which leads to total blindness. A restaurant scene in which things take the proverbially bad turn for the worse awesomely illustrates the perfect blend of drama and humor in the film. One highlight is an oblivious Ingrid making conversation with lipstick smeared on her cheek.
The efforts of Ingrid to retain her visual memories of the places in her life prompt writing a memoir about those locations and her life in general. A combination of blurred memories (pun intended), using fantasies to escape her harsh reality, and general paranoia combine to create an unsettling reality. The final scenes in which the alternate realities of Ingrid collide lead to incredibly vivid and emotionally storytelling.
One of the more compelling scenes has Ingrid following her husband to a party only to realize one of her worst nightmares come true. She first interrupts him in the middle of a sexual encounter that proves to be increasingly kinky and subsequently becomes the oblivious object of ridicule by a participant in that tryst.
In many ways, the aforementioned elements make "Blind" the Scandinavian response to the television series "Lost" with the exception of none of the scruffy Norse-looking men being tan, thin, and uber-sarcastic.
The DVD extra is an interview with Vogt.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Blind" is strongly encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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