Blind Date (2009)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

I discovered the this movie on On Demand and was delighted. Yes, it deals with potentially depressing content, but its beauty is a testament to the depths of human emotion. I think this is a stunning film. Tucci's character is complex. He engenders pathos as well as being a bit off-putting at times. Patricia Clarkson does a grand job of portraying the subtleties in each of the personae her character takes on. Both actors area achingly beautiful in this movie. I liked the mise en scene created by the shabbily elegant club that evokes the early decades of the 20th century. The score/music is haunting. The movie is rather like a play, but with the bonus of close-ups add immeasurably to the experience. Tucci knows tragedy, and it certainly shows here. I feel fortunate to have found this gem.

This film plays out like an acting exercise by two very capable, well-established actors. What holds the simple plot together, along with the series of vignettes showcasing the actors' skills, are two things: the personal ads introducing each segment, and the narration by the characters' deceased daughter.Blind Date is probably more valuable as a teaching tool in a professional acting class than it would be as a night at the cinema for the general public.Excerpts from Blind Date will doubtless appear in retrospectives of Clarkson's and Tucci's acting careers, as illustrating examples of their work. That Tucci also directed likely strengthens the focus of the film in terms of his and his co-star's portrayals.

Blind Date is a movie I came across, many times every time I have entered the video store. Due to the lack of comments on the IMDb page, I decided to leave it alone. The temptation began to be too much however, and I decided to give it a look after all. It's one of the most original movies I have ever seen, but there isn't really any happy moments to be had, after I finished viewing it, I became pretty depressed. Blind Date is very cheap looking, but the incredible performances of Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson is what really make the movie. The pain and suffering they are obviously going through, is quite heartbreaking. Most of it is set in an old fashioned, fancy type looking bar, I thought it was great, and really set the mood for the movie. The only problem I had with the movie, was the deliberate slow pace. It was never boring, it just seemed to drag on at certain points, and the different blind dates, did get a little old after a while. I did appreciate the effort on the low budget it had, and it was quite a thought provoking film, when all was said and done.Performances. Stanley Tucci is remarkable. Filming this must have been very hard, and it shows on his face. To be depressed in almost every scene, was quite the feat. His chemistry with Patricia is amazing. Patricia Clarkson is wonderful. Her pain saddened me, and I was really rooting for her and Stanley to pull themselves together.Bottom line. Blind Date is an interesting film, despite being extremely depressing, is worthy when all is said and done. Make sure your in the mood for this though, because it may tend to ruin your day, if your not.7/10

Don, a magician, is seen practicing his art in a club that has probably seen better days. Through a personal ad in a local newspaper, he meets Janna, a woman of a certain age, that has an aura of mystery about herself and the way she interacts with Don. It is clear these two like one another because they keep meeting at the same place on different occasions. Throughout the story, a girl's voice comes on to tell us something about her parents.As this tale unfolds, we realize the real identity of the two people that are presented to us, who go through different emotions; they are, after all, well acquainted with one another. The thing that binds them is a tragedy that has left them wounded individuals because the terrible loss they have suffered. By pretending they are just meeting in casual ways, they seem to be re-igniting a passion that has died between them and have terribly changed them forever.This is an American tribute to the late Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who was murdered by an Islamic extremist in his native country. Stanley Tucci, an actor who has tried his hand at directing before, adapted the original material with David Schecter. The result is a film that tends to disorient the viewer not paying close attention to all that develops between Don and Janna.Patricia Clarkson, one of the best screen actresses working today, offers an insight to the suffering Janna. Ms. Clarkson and Mr. Tucci, who plays Don, do wonders with the material and prove they are at the top of their craft.