Thursday, June 14, 2007

Blindness: The Movie

OK, hold thy horses!
It’s kind of sketchy right now, I am searching frantically for information on this, but alas, all I have to go on is an article in the paper.
The web is very scarce on the subject.
But earlier today I was in the lunchroom at work, eating one of those individual size things of yoghurt and flipping through the papers strewn about at random, when what caught my eye but Blindness!
The word…. and alongside it, “Nobel Prize-winning novel”… and above this, a headline → Ruffalo, Moore Tapped for Canadian Film.
I nearly swallowed my dentures.
And I don’t even HAVE dentures!


So, here is the scoop.
One of my favorite novels of all time is going to be coming to a theater near me and you, soon!
In the spring of 2008, apparently.
It is in production, as we blog-speak!
Here…. I will tell you what I know.

Apparently, production of the film starts the end of July, in Toronto. Then moves to Uruguay, in September.
Some of the stars will be Mark Ruffalo as the doctor, suddenly struck blind.
None other than Julianne Moore → [and Cip said… “meooooow!”] will play the role of the doctor’s wife, one of the few that does not go blind.
Danny Glover will play the man with the eye patch.
The movie will be directed by Fernando Meirelles, whose previous work includes such things as The Constant Gardener [2005], and City of God [2002].


Oh my God, it is all too good to be true!
When the reclusive author, Jose Saramago, was originally approached by several hopeful filmmakers, they were “firmly rebuffed.”
But finally, in 1999, these two guys, Somebody McKellar and Somebody Fichman, “hopped a plane to the writer’s home in the Canary Islands, where they persuaded him to sign off on a deal.”
Wow!

Instead of my blabbing, you can read the same article I saw in The Globe and Mail, by clicking HERE!

I will be one of the first in line, to see this film.
I may even wear real dark glasses and carry a walking stick, and be led into the theater by my alcoholic Seeing-Eye Cat, Jack!

“You know, that’s not even all that funny, Dad.”
************

10 comments:

Beth said...

I loved that book too, although I found it disturbing.
But I never get excited as to the movie version of a book - it's never as good.

Cipriano said...

You are totally right, Beth. A disturbing book, indeed.
And the movie cannot possibly be as good as the book.
And yet, for this one, I will still be there.
I must see it.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes a movie will let down the book's originality, being infidel to the content. But I'm sure I'll be the first in line, at least in my city, to see this movie.

Speaking of Saramago, I still have Seeing on my nightstand, waiting.

Literalicious said...

Well now I wanna read this book before the film comes out. Mark Ruffalo...meeeeeeow! :)

Sam said...

This is one movie that I'll be paying to see, too...that's getting rarer for me all the time. I thought about that book for a couple of weeks after finishing it, even though I read several others in the meantime. It's powerful.

Cipriano said...

I suggest that we all MEET, and go the movie, opening night.
Is this feasible?
-- Cip

Merisi said...

My favorite of Saramago's novels is "All the Names", but I am looking forward to see Julianne Moore, I love her. Thank you, Cip! :-)

Anonymous said...

actually, they're filming in San Paoul and Guelph-i know someone with a small role in the movie. Don McKellar is the director

Anonymous said...

Jose Saranmago loved the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XzBkM_LdAk

Cipriano said...

Thank you so much, Bruno, for this link.
I love Jose Saramago.
This is a very touching clip. Thank you so much.
-- Cip