The Blind Lead (1996) User Reviews

Do a lot of coke, engage in frivolous sex, and you can come to dislike anybody

[pyamada · 8/10 · 19 November 2002]

This film does a tremendous job of showing the effects of an uncertain and dissolute life, fueled by too much coke and unseemly relationships. In addition, John's voice overs provide touches of humor, insight and poetry to an otherwise queasy slide into distrust, recriminations, exhibitionism, and back seat 'theater of cruelty'. Unlike Traffic or Requiem For A Dream, this is not a heavy handed or didactic film; nobody is hung up on bourgeoise dreams or delusions, nor are we encumbered with addled parents or "innocent" children. The noirish black and white photography adds to the claustrophobia and enhances everyone's dark moods. This is a really good film, made for next to nothing and shot in Chicago using local talent. And it has more to say, more nuance and more "art" than the aforementioned movies that everybody flocked to and professes to love. But by comparison, THIS is an interesting, artful film, and those two are 'after school, "say no to drugs" specials'. Go see Blind Lead.