Hysterical Blindness (2002)

Truly Dreadful Film

the audience applauded

Pretty Good

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

An all star cast leads this film adaptation of a play by the same name. Uma Thurman is Debby Miller, a single girl in Bayonne, New Jersey, who lives with her waitress mother, Virginia. Juliette Lewis plays her best friend and single mother. Ben Gazzara plays Virginia's boyfriend, Nick. All the performances are well done especially Gena Rowland's and Ben Gazzara playing mature people in a romance. Despite all my expectations of silly slapstick humor but none happened. This film does have serious and light moments. It was filmed on location in New Jersey. The cast won awards for this film and I see why. The actors all give understated performances.

I rate this highly 'cos of the performances of Thurman and Lewis. They were absolutely outstanding. I take on board the comments about the dodgy accents, music, anachronistic details, but they don't matter to 99% of the people who watch. The characterisations were great! Even if they didn't leave you precisely where intended, they were consistent and you could buy into them.I really like the comment here to the effect that the film would have some merit if the characters achieved even a hint of self-awareness by the end of the film. This is an important point, and I would agree whole-heartedly if the film had a different title. The title is all that's needed to give this film perspective, to place it specifically and allow it to be what it is without reference to the frame that gives it meaning.

For anyone who has ever been truly, painfully lonely and done really stupid things under the influence of alcohol just to gain a little affection and affirmation, this movie will be like looking in the mirror. I winced when Uma's character literally flung herself at a guy who is, like a recent book popular dating book says, is just not that into her. The pain on Uma's character's face is just too much to take sometimes. I've watched this film twice and even though the I knew what was going to happen, seeing it a second time was just as heart-wrenching and touching. Kudos to all the actors, especially Uma Thurman and Gena Rowlands. PLEASE see every Gena Rowlands movie ever made - you won't be disappointed. She is one of the finest actors of our time.

This adaptation of an off broadway play, about two friends living in New Jersey and looking for love in all the wrong places, features great acting by Juliet Lewis, Geena Rowlands, and Uma Thurman. Thurman, especially, is great and, alone, worth the price of admission (or rental). This is nother coup for HBO in producing meaningful indie films.