At First Sight

When I first saw previews for this movie, I though it was a good idea. The trouble was, it wasn't an idea, it was a true story. A story that should have been left alone. This movie dragged in too much sex, too many tears, and way too many moments that had no significance whatsoever. It was long, boring, and sappy. There was no ending except for the little blurb that said they lived "happily ever after." Val Kilmer could never portray a blind man. He's known much too well. I believe that they should have gotten a new actor to play this role. The only person I thought did a terrific job was Nathan Lane. He was definitely perfect for this role. I would recommend that you don't waste seven, eight, nine bucks to see this film. I would even recommend wasting two, three bucks for renting it.

AT FIRST SIGHT, in my opinion, is a very sweet, touching, and romantic film. I thought that Virgil (Val Kilmer) was a very sweet and kind man, even though he had been blind since childhood. To me, Amy (Mira Sorvino) was a very sweet, kind, and loving woman. I felt happy for her when she found Virgil. This was because she was looking for the right man. And her ex-husband, Duncan (Steven Weber), wasn't the one for her, although they still worked together at the same company. I couldn't believe they still worked together after they got a divorce. In my opinion, Virgil was the right man for Amy. Before I close, I want to say to all you people that are Val Kilmer or Mira Sorvino fans, I highly recommend this film. In conclusion, I think Val and Mira dazzle as a blind masseuse and a stressed-out architect.

Sorry for everyone who liked this movie, but in my eyes it's absolutely horrible. The characters are unrealistic, the emotions are overdosed to the maximum and the screenplay throws in so many standard story cliches that you stop counting when passing 100. Just a few examples: 1. The Sorvino character needs an eternity to even recognize that the man who gave her a massage and talked to her for ten minutes is blind. 2. Val Kilmer is the baddest screen-blind I have ever seen. And for the first hour of the movie he is permanently smiling, in a way that makes me want to smash his face. 3. What the hell is the father doing in this movie anyway? Here you got the greatest standard plot device ever, and it serves absolutely no purpose. I could go on and on, but I got better things to do than talking about this crap.

There I said it. I just like everything about this movie even though (if I'm honest) this time through I did find Val Kilmer's perpetual goofy grin and childlike ways kind of off putting (unsexy) On a plus this was made back when he still looked "Top Gun" good and the initial massage sequences are very sensual. Kilmer plays Virgil Adamson a blind masseur who falls in love with one of his clients (Mira Sorvino). He goes home with her to New York and agrees to undergo a risky operation to restore his sight. The outcome however is not what anyone could have predicted and leaves him longing for his former sightless world. Ultimately, besides being a great romance this movie made me think about "seeing" in a whole new way especially in how your brain processes vision. Kilmer does do a great job showing Virgil's struggles in that respect. Based on a true story. 12.13

AT FIRST SIGHT (1999) *** Starring: Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino, Kelly McGillis, Steven Weber, Bruce Davison, Nathan Lane Director: Irwin Winkler 124 minutes PG-13 (for sexuality and nudity, and some language) *** By Blake French, based on comment by Lynda French and Faye Blink: In many ways "At First Sight," is not a good movie. For instance: It does not do a good job of explaining the inspiration for the plot, the blind man's optical surgery. That is unfortunate, because I really was interested in that concept. The film, based on a novel called "To See and Not See," is centered on a man who has gotten used to being blind. He knows his entire way around New York. He then falls in love with an architect. Her name is Amy. Virgil, the blind man, is hired by complete coincidence to be her massager. The minutes he touches her, she knows that this man is different for other men she has formed relationships with in the past. The plot is strong, but thin at the same time. For instance, the film takes heed in developing the characters, but never the conflict, or villain, or sub-plots. If the director would have decided to focus on those things a bit more, or a lot more in that matter, the film would have been wonderful. After all, it is well written and performed. There is a sup-plot, however, that is detailed. The filmmakers throw in a false break up between two characters, and how Vigirl deals with the misguided presence of his distant father. This incidence is only in existence to create sappy melodrama to further the movie's running time. My main recommendation comes only from the first rate performances from Kilmer and Sorvino. Val Kilmer ("The Saint" 1997, "Heat" 1994) delivers is outstanding as the blind man. He brings to life the confusion of lack of sight. Mira Sorvino ("Mimic," 1997, "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," 1997) plays Amy with boldness and verve. She also captures the wonder and creativity of the audience's imagination. The sub-characters including Steven Weber ("Sour Grapes" 1998, "The Shinning," 1997) Bruce Davidson and Nathan Lane ("Mousehunt" 1997) are also very suburb in their roles. That said, this film is not all that original. Think about it for a minute: two people fall in love, who have many differences and problems. Does this sound familiar? The truth: this is just another romance story with a gimmick. The film works, but only by the skin of its performances.

Val Kilmer (The Saint) is Virgil Adamson, who lost his eyesight at a young age. Val Kilmer does a great job playing the part.This is not an easy role. I think that I read somewhere that he wore contact lenses that blocked his vision. This is a very interesting character. Virgil is a really sweet person. Amy Benic, Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite) has to take a vacation at a resort because of her job and as she drives by in the night she sees this guy playing hockey. Jennie Adamson, Kelly McGillis (Top Gun), is his sister and has taken care of him all his life. Dr. Charles Aaron, Nathan Lane (The Bird Cage), helps Virgil to cope with the temporary gain of his eyesight. The problem is that not even the doctors know much about how to help Virgil. He has no sense of depth, no sense of perspective, can not read, the world as a person who can see is very treating to Virgil. I felt during this movie that most of us do take a lot of what we are and have for granted. I am very nearsighted and cannot see in the mirror, and have to ask for help when I lose my glasses. To me contact lenses and the highlight lenses are two of the most valuable inventions of this century. Most people do not realize that I am so nearsighted because of the nice lenses in my glasses and the contacts that I wear, but without those I would really in be trouble. As an adolescent I had problems because I thought that it was ugly to wear glasses. But I had no problems with contacts at that time. I have been wearing them since I was fifteen. My contact lenses are called Toric, and have to be custom made. I could never change my eye color with those lenses because that they do not come that way. Thank GOD for the scientific advancement of this century. I could not have laser surgery because my eyes have not stop getting worse. I have a real appreciation for Virgil. What I have is nothing compared to him! The ability to see the world, the beautiful color, our loved ones, understand people's expressions on their faces. That is all wonderful, and a wonder! I was thinking how difficult it is not to see and the special effects helped to comprehend the problem even better. Amy tries so much to help, but after trying so hard as Virgil did it is difficult to have hope. He lost his sight but did not lose his heart. This is a nice movie! Moreover especially because it is a true story. I recommend this movie. Favorite Scenes: Virgil skating with Amy. Virgil playing hockey in the middle of the night. Watching or listening to a hockey game. Amy asked Virgil: Are they losing? He said: I prefer to think that they are not winning. What a positive attitude. The cotton candies! That is awesome. Favorite Quotes: " I wanted to behold not to be whole." " I am having a bad eye day!"

Here in Crete Greece there are many films shown during the night on TV so my wife and I use the users comments to decide which films to record to watch at a decent hour. Although this film only got a rating of 5.6 which we feel is the bottom end of a film worth watching the plot outline sounded interesting so we gave it a go. Well I think that 5.6 is a bit too good a rating. 4.5 is better. The basic story about a man who was blind from the age of three regaining his sight is fine. However about 80 minutes would have been sufficient not the 128 minutes forced on to us. It was dragged out for the sake of it with lots of valueless scenes included. Our DVD recorder automatically put markers every six minutes on a recording and after about 80 minutes we started zapping forward 6 minutes and watching for 30 – 40 seconds to keep up to date with the plot. Val Kilmer's portrayal of a blind man was for him to smile incessantly throughout every scene, he seemed more creepy than anything. When they enter the old abandoned building which Kilmer had not known existed before then, he was very confident for a blind man entering a new space. He steps gingerly forward without his stick in to what? Could have been an old uncover well and that would have been the end of him and the film. But luckily for him it was just good solid floor boards. The father serves no purpose for being in this movie. The little kid next door pops up for no good reason and gets pretty annoying. It was OK to watch but perhaps I should have baked some bread it would have been better use of my time.

How ordinary this turned out to be... Here was an enormous opportunity to give us an exposition on the discovery of sight - what else are movies for? But no...this is reduced to the lowest common denominator of melodrama. This really could have been something in the hands of, say, a DePalma - someone who understands that perspective comes first...Winkler sticks to flat notions of fish out of water jokes transmogrifying into occasions to grab the tissues. But then, how can we expect adventure when these things are built around star appeal? Pretty-boy Kilmer acts with his upper teeth; Sorvino is just embarrassingly bad, not even glamorous.

If I hadn't been with friends when I saw this movie, I would have walked out for sure. Within the first 15 minutes of the movie you realize that even though the main character is blind, he doesn't need the operation to see where the plot is going. The screenwriter goes through almost no effort to develop character or plot. Characters make major changes in their lives with almost no motivation or solid reasoning. There are enough issues plaguing Val Kilmer's character that he could hardly be the happy, carefree soul we are introduced to in the first reel. And why he leaves that happiness behind for MIRA SORVINO is well beyond me. She has a moment or two in this film, but most of it continues to prove that her Oscar was earned more by Woody Allen's writing and directing than by her acting. Val Kilmer is fun to watch (pardon the pun), and Nathan Lane adds a needed bit of levity, but the rest of this movie is dreck. Avoid it like the plague!

I watched this film on late night TV and definitely enjoyed it. I think it will stay with me because it reminded me that sometimes I try to change people to make life better for them as I think it should be. I must be more conscious in finding out What they want before I start the process of changing. I think Virgil was much more intuitive and happy in his blindness. Although his life was a simple one, he was happy. Amy tried to make him part of her world and regaining his sight became very frightening and confusing for him, especially in New York City. He went from serenity and peace with his life to confusion and anger. Maybe it is good that he lost his sight again.