All I See Is You

Is love blind? Marc Forster, the director behind the highly acclaimed indie film Monster’s Ball sets out to explore this question while presenting us with something not often seen in cinema, a blind person’s life. While such a life may be perceived as a disability by most, this film takes us on a beautiful cinematic journey that shifts our perception and shows us the other side full of simplicity and absence of superficial worries.

All I See Is You tells the story of a blind woman’s attempt to regain her vision through expensive, miracle procedures in Bangkok, Thailand after a car accident leaves her blind. Forster tackles the challenge of showing us how the blind “see” the world through beautiful cinematography. The juxtaposition of blurry focuses, outlines of people, shadows and amplified sounds bring us one step closer to experience blindness.

James (Jason Clarke) sabotages his wife, Gina’s (Blake Lively) treatment after feeling insecure about her newfound independence. He cannot thrive when she’s not reliant upon him. Fearful that he might lose his wife, James goes to great lengths to revert her sight back to blindness. One of the most powerful lines of the film is delivered when James takes a blind Gina to a nightclub and while she’s literally dancing like nobody’s watching, he says to her: “If you could see yourself, you’d see that we look stupid.” This moment is so raw and honest that it evokes nausea to think of how much pressure we put on caring about what others think about us.

Films that make you walk around and think about them a few days after are the best kind and that’s exactly what All I See Is You achieves. Underneath it all lie the flaws of human beings from insecurities, superficiality, co-dependence and control to manipulation, and the fear of losing someone. What is our purpose in life and to which lengths will one go to preserve it?

All I See Is You
Directed by Marc Forster
Produced by Craig Baumgarten, Jillian Kugler, Brian Wilkins
Written by Marc Forster, Sean Conway
Starring Blake Lively, Jason Clarke
Music by Marc Streitenfeld
Cinematography Matthias Koenigswieser
Edited by Hughes Winborne
Production company : SC International Pictures, Wing and a Prayer Pictures, LINK Entertainment
Distributed by Open Road Films
Release date : October 27, 2017 (United States),
Running time : 110 minutes

Seen October 13 2017 in New York, Park Avenue Screening Room

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