AT FIRST SIGHT
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
A couple of massages and Amy Benic's life is changed forever.
Amy, played with a sweet, nervous energy by Mira Sorvino, is a hard
driving young architect who works with her ex-husband (Steven Weber) at
the firm they co-founded. As director Irwin Winkler's AT FIRST SIGHT
begins, Amy checks into a spa for "a quick fix" of daily massages - but
not too early in the morning. After a couple of those "deep tissue"
babies delivered under the tender care of a handsome masseur named
Virgil, she is head over heels in love with him.
The first scene of them together has her crying during her
quasi-orgasmic massage. "Do you always make girls cry?" she weeps.
"Always," he replies earnestly. The script is by a series of writers
(Steve Levitt, Irwin Winkler and Rob Cowan) so one cannot be sure to
whom to attribute which lines, but, since all the lines are consistently
sappy, perhaps it doesn't matter.
Val Kilmer, who is only slightly better than in his atrocious
performances in THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and THE SAINT, plays Virgil for
maximum schmaltz. Virgil's blind, but, as is de rigueur in such
cinematic situations, Amy will not realize this for a while, and, when
she does, she will be suitably embarrassed and apologize profusely.
The romance between the two of them advances rapidly. "She smells like
cinnamon and nutmeg," is how Virgil describes Amy to his dog. He is
overhead by his long-suffering sister (Kelly McGillis), who takes care
of Virgil. She is apprehensive about any possible changes in Virgil's
life.
The acting by the two leads has a certain symmetry. Amy displays
genuine affection for Virgil and makes him the center of her life.
Virgil agrees -- he loves himself and sees the world in terms of his
needs. Sorvino is as honestly open and giving in her performance as
Kilmer is self-absorbed.
Soon the two of them have moved from his place near the spa to her pad
in New York after she convinces him to try a miracle cure to restore his
sight. (The film is "inspired by a true story.") The doctor, played by
Bruce Davison, does give Virgil his sight, which causes Virgil great
consternation. Dr. Phil Webster, a vision therapist, played by comedian
Nathan Lane, helps Virgil deal with the emotional trauma of his new
sight. Dr. Webster takes Virgil to a cheap stripper bar where they can
polish off a few beers while the good doctor asks him what he thinks
about the naked visuals.
The movie, which is largely a series of missed opportunities, finds the
ugliest part of one of the prettiest cities around, New York City, for
Virgil to waste his newfound eyesight on.
It was probably inevitable that a movie with this title would have some
"sight" gags, but do they have to have so many? When Virgil meets Amy
after her massage, he says he doesn't recognize her with her clothes on.
And when she changes clothes when he is still blind, he promises not to
look. Ad nauseam.
The movie is cluttered with characters and subplots which add little
other than time to the picture. A subplot concerning Virgil's evil
father could be totally eliminated, as could the one of Amy's
ex-husband.
As likeable as the female lead is and as fascinating as the subject
matter is, the movie slowly falls apart in front of your eyes. When
Virgil runs out into a busy Manhattan street one evening and plays
chicken with a speeding taxi just to observe the visual effects of
rapidly approaching headlights, you know the movie has finally and
completely lost it.
AT FIRST SIGHT runs too long at 2:08. It is rated PG-13 for sexual
situations and a little profanity and would be fine for teenagers.
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Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think:
This is a mediocre movie based on a true
story about a blind man who regains his sight for a short time.
Val Kilmer plays the lead character and Mira Sorvino plays his
love interest. There are some tender moments throughout the film,
(It really should appeal to women) but most of it drones on and
on. I think the best part of the movie comes after he regains
his sight and must cope with how to use this new sense of his.
After he regains it, he becomes a changed man and starts to see
life how it really is. Jealousy is one thing that he sees after
his love interest gives her friend a kiss. In essence, this is
a boy meets girl, boy gains sight, boy loses girl, boy loses
loses sight, boy gets girl again story. One plus is that he's a
NY Rangers fan and actually goes to a game before he completely
loses his sight. Since I'm a fan, that was one of the best things
about this film. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Review written May 28, 1999
