At First Sight

At First Sight
by Irwin Winkler

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DVD Reviews of At First Sight

DVD Review: Length not a real issue in the end.
Summary: 4 Stars

Based on a story by Oliver Sacks about a real-life couple, the story begins when construction designer Amy decides to take a vacation from work and go to a health and beauty spa for the weekend. Driving along snowy roads, she arrives that same night, and the next morning, she goes in for a therapeutical massage. Not only is the massage therapist a blind man named Virgil, but he is also able to make her cry not five minutes into the session, and from this moment on, the two become inseparable. Upon returning to the city, Amy comes across the name of a doctor who wishes to restore site to someone willing to be the first for the surgery.

Up until this point, the story has already built up a momentus amount of emotions, most of them happy in relation to the budding relationship between Amy and Virgil, and a small amount of grief when we realize the pain the Virgil went through in the early years of his life as his father tried everything to get his son to see. Virgil's simple yet complex view upon the world is, at times, tear-jerking, especially in the abandoned building of his town where he and Amy escape to listen to the rain. This is one of the most moving moments of the film, because it shows that even though he is a blind man, he can take something as simple as rain and read so much into what he hears from it.

Virgil agrees to go through with the surgery, with some hesitation. He has normal fears about the repercussions of the procedure, as well as feeling that his life is normal the way it is, and is not hampered by his disability. After the surgery, when the bandages are removed, everyone involved in his life realizes that it is going to take so much more for Virgil to get used to the ability of sight because of his life's experiences as a blind man. He has no sense of depth perception, color, or what things are. He is used to feeling things and reading Braille, and soon, Amy realizes that it is more taxing on her life than she originally thought it would be.

The basis for this story is truly moving, and it makes for a very emotional experience that packs pure satisfaction in matters of the heart. The way in which this disability affects these two peoples' lives is truly authentic, going through situations from Virgil's learning to read and comprehend different aspects of his vision while Amy goes through emotions of stress and heartache until she comes to the realization that Virgil is the only person in her life that she truly needs.

There is an instant connection between these two characters that the film is able to keep solidly fused throughout the entire plot. Amy and Virgil are able to make it through good times and bad, and their emotion becomes the centerpiece for the entire story. I found myself crying in places I never expected to, laughing in all the right places, and feeling nothing but happiness and an uplifted spirit after it was all over. We are able to feel everything that the characters feel, while also going through the experiences and emotions they do right along with them.

The running time for this movie may seem a bit tedious for those unwilling to sit through a long love story, and some scenes do tend to drag out a bit. It takes a full hour before Virgil is able to see, and that first hour is spent going through the motions of the building romance, the hesitation, the aspect of living life blind. If the operation had taken place at least fifteen minutes earlier, then the film would not be hampered by this. Nonetheless, the second half of the movie is worth waiting for, and if you're a true romance buff, then you won't mind watching the whole thing and enjoying it.

There is a remarkable cast for this film, with some big name, award-winning stars leading the way. Val Kilmer is a truly magnificent Virgil, and while he plays the physical aspect of being blind quite authentically, he is also able to embody emotion and strength into his character's mental state. Mira Sorvino plays one of her best roles ever as Amy, the highly emotional woman who comes into Virgil's life. This performance marks her as one of the most believable and true actresses of our time, and she proves this when she cries and laughs and expresses her love for Virgil in various ways. Kelly McGillis plays Virgil's sister, who becomes slightly jealous of the fact that her brother no longer depends on her with Amy in his life. Nathan Lane brings his wit and charm to the movie as a teacher for the blind who reverses his teachings in trying to help Virgil understand what he is seeing.

"At First Sight" tells a harrowing story of the receipt of the gift of sight, and that it's a gift that takes getting used to. Through the experiences of the characters, we learn that to see with the eyes is nothing compared to when we see things with the human heart.

Description of At First Sight

Val Kilmer plays Virgil, a serene resort worker who plays hockey in the dark and is the best masseur this side of the Catskills. Onto his table comes Amy, a bone-weary NYC architect (Mira Sorvino) who cries the first time Virgil does his magic. Instead of a voyage into the world of blindness, Amy's first instinct is to take Virgil to an eye doctor who can restore sight (Bruce Davison). Virgil receives sight, crumbling the trust between him and Amy. The clichés start building up and by the time Amy is wooed by her ex-husband (Steven Weber), her boss no less, one's patience wears thin.

The medical curiosities of the story--Virgil can see an item but can't grasp what it is until he touches it--do not translate well on screen. The film's liveliest character is Nathan Lane as a teacher of the blind. A scene with Virgil that gets to the heart of his ailment is so filled with spontaneity, one wonders if it was scripted or simply Lane's own extemporaneous dialogue. After an admirable start as a director (Guilty by Suspicion), Oscar-winning producer Irwin Winkler has not been able to put cinematic highs or believable angst into his films (The Net, Night in the City). At First Sight may look good, but it is blind where it counts. --Doug Thomas