Blindness (2008)

Set in an unnamed country, out of nowhere the population slowly starts going blind. But instead of seeing darkness, it's more a bright white. When her doctor husband (Mark Ruffalo) goes blind, his sighted wife (Julianne Moore) feigns blindness in order to accompany him to an internment camp. The camps are set up because the blindness is contagious. Based on the novel by Jose Saramago and directed by Fernando Meirelles (THE CONSTANT GARDENER). This is an intense and disturbing allegory and quite frankly, a thoroughly unpleasant film to sit through. Which is why a lot of the critical reception was negative (audiences were hostile to it too) which is unfortunate. Although ultimately the film ends on a note of hope, we've been put through the ringer. But it's as difficult as it is, it's a cinematic journey well worth taking. Meirelles' direction and the screenplay by Don McKellar (who plays the thief) walks a fine line that could have fallen into heavy handed pretentiousness in the wrong hands. Moore gives a first rate performance and carries the film. With Danny Glover, Gael Bernal Garcia, Alice Braga, Sandra Oh and Maury Chaykin.