Review: 'Blindness'

Based on the great 1995 novel by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, "Blindness," directed by Fernando Meirelles, is one of the larger disappointments of the year. Set in a nameless English-speaking city where people are suddenly stricken with sightlessness, it's an allegory that never rises to the level of believability. After a powerful opening, when we see the first victim suddenly go blind while driving in traffic, the film devolves into a dystopian freak show and wastes many wonderful performers, including Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore. Grade: D (Rated R for violence including sexual assaults, language, and sexuality/nudity.)