Blind

Written and directed by Tamar van den Dop, Blind tells the story of a sightless young man (Joren Seldeslachts’ Ruben) who has scared away scores of young women hired to read to him – something that changes with the hire of a fiercely strong-willed albino named Marie (Halina Reijn). The two begin to break down each other’s barriers and eventually find themselves falling in love, though, as expected, certain complications threaten their happiness. First-time filmmaker van den Dop does a nice job of infusing Blind with a dreamy, fairy tale-esque sort of vibe, and aside from a few relatively conventional third-act developments, the movie is subsequently rife with off-kilter elements that cement its status as a thoroughly original piece of work. The otherworldly atmosphere, surprisingly enough, doesn’t preclude van den Dop from transforming the two central characters into compelling, entirely sympathetic figures, with the stellar work by both Seldeslachts and Reijn playing a crucial role on the movie’s success. The undeniably (and expectedly) heartbreaking conclusion ensures that Blind ends on quite a memorable note, and it’s ultimately clear that van den Dop possesses ample promise as an up-and-coming filmmaker.

*** out of ****