BLINDSPOTS:
Movie Reviews for Visually Impaired People

"Shine," rated "PG-13," and with a running time of a little less than two hours, is an intense, uplifting story about the spirit of one fascinating human being. Geoffrey Rush is simply brilliant as David Helfgott, a musical prodigy as a child, but as an adult he's filled with fear, torment and confusion. Armin Mueller-Stahl portrays David's father, a Polish, Jewish immigrant and holocaust survivor, who, in the name of love, pressures his son with his own unrealized dreams.

Young David excels in mastering the piano, bringing pride and pleasure to his father. But, as a teenager, David's dreams are crushed when his father refuses to allow him to leave home to pursue music at college. The emotional struggle between father and son leads to their painful estrangement.

From the visually impaired point of view, this movie had its difficulties but also had some excellent attributes. There were lots of abrupt scene changes that were hard to follow along with a number of flashbacks. My sighted assistant was often needed during these parts and still it was challenging at times to stay connected with the story. Even with assistance I found out later that I missed one minor character in the movie. Quite frustrating.

On the positive side, there were only a few main characters to follow and their voices were easy to differentiate. The sound effects were terrific throughout the movie, with music that did not interfere with conversation, and a general vibrancy and creativity that was a constant source of pleasure for me. Also the intensity felt so real, not like fabricated Hollywood intensity. Maybe that's because it wasn't a Hollywood made movie. It was an Australian made movie. If you're a music lover, this movie is a must. I'm only going to give it a rating of 5 because it is challenging, but well worth it. Take along a good sighted assistant, but get out to see this one.


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