Customer Reviews

The Sensation of Sight

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The previous writer does give away too much. A Sweet film that reveals more meaning with each viewing. I've seen this gem a half a dozen times and it does not disappoint with repeated viewings. Instead it rewards you with it's subtle nuanced craftsmanship and vision The ensemble cast hits on all cylinders. Straithairn is brilliant in a dark,yet somehow comic departure from some of his more stereotypical roles. Daniel Gillies is electric. There is nothing here to indicate the shoestring budget, beautifully filmed by award winning cinematographer Christophe Lansberg .First time writer / director Aaron Weidersphann brings together the whimsy of Capra, the pathos of Wes Anderson and the biting wit of Charlie Kaufman to this must see Indie delight. Like a sumptuous feast for the spirit.

I found this film to be poetic, thoughtful, and beautifully shot. It invites you from the very beginning to slow down and experience an intricately layered story on its own terms. Strathairn gives an amazing performance as a troubled English teacher searching for answers to a tragedy he's witnessed, and the rest of the excellent cast--Jane Adams is my favorite--help lead him toward the healing he seeks.

Seeing The Sensation of Sight the first time was like meeting a quiet, brilliant and intense person who fascinated you. The more you watch this movie, the more drawn in and exhilarated you are by it and what it says about life. I couldn't wait to see it again; the second time was even better. It makes you look at the world and your own life in a new way; there are few films these days that change your perspective on life and death, but The Sensation of Sight does exactly that. I highly recommend it.

I went to see this film to support a friend who was involved in the project. Living in New York City, I have been exposed to a lot of independent film, some very good, but most too quirky and difficult to understand.

When I walked into Pioneer Theater to view this film, I didn't know that it was going to touch me in the deepest layers of my being. Every shot was beautiful; the actors lived in their roles, showing genuine emotion, and the story line was intelligent, dealing with issues that affect many of us in our own life.

The film asked important questions and didn't leave me hanging with those questions at the end. It offered insight and hope that wasn't insulting to the realities of everyday life. It left me feeling less alone with my own thoughts about similar questions.

This film is the best I've seen all year. I went back a second time and loved it even more. I look forward to receiving the DVD. I will be very proud to share it with my friends.

Melissa

The opening shot thrilled me--for a rather personal reason. I recognized the scene as the one that's been fascinating my brother and me since we were kids. It's an old stone barn we used to drive past on the way to visit our grandfather.

After admiring the barn, I realized that nothing was really happening. Nothing much, anyway. I waited while the movie's dawn turned to daylight around the barn and the morning mists burned off. I began to wish I hadn't bought it.

But it gets better. We meet a man named Finn (David Strathairn) and watch as he tells his wife he's going away. Finn seems to be tortured and have a driving need to search for some sort of answer. His message is ambiguous and almost confusing--as it should be.

In another scene, two guys come together to wash cars, and they're discussing the fact that one is working and the other is not. But there are three guys there, and the third one isn't working, either. And he's wearing a suit. I wondered why. And I wondered why, in the age of the internet, Finn decides to go-to-door selling encyclopedias.

Eventually I learned that the third guy is a ghost. It's not that this is a `paranormal' movie. It's just that Finn's burden of unresolved tragedy is as real to him as any physical presence could be. The people around him can't see the ghost--most of them, anyway. What they can see, can touch, are the encyclopedias.

Finn is not glamorous. He's not fabulous. He's not even successful or collected or sexy, at least in the classic sense. He's real. In fact, he's so real, so imperfect, so nakedly human that I relate to him. I identify. I feel.

"The Sensation of Sight" contains no pat answers. It depicts life, complete with anxieties and uncertainties. But it leaves us with a sense that we need not be its victims: we can be its participants.

I bought this movie knowing that it was filmed in New Hampshire. I watched it to see New Hampshire - and because I was curious about this guy pulling a wagon and wearing a hat and sneakers. Loved it. The characters grew very important to me. I was so surprised as stories and relationships unfolded. I had to keep rewatching, because, every time I would try to concentrate on the scenery, indoors and outdoors, I would get distracted by the people and their stories. This is an excellent film for the story and for the New Hampshire stuff....I will watch it again.

Best viewed when you have a special time. When it's over, you'll wish you had more of this type of time and more things like this movie to fill it.

A multiple award winning independent film, "The Sensation Of Sight" is the story of Finn, a middle-aged English teacher entering a mid-life crisis precipitated by personal tragedy. Finn sells encyclopedias to town locals, as his anxieties mount and he finds himself pursued by an unrelenting ghost. This is the deftly portrayed story of loneliness and disconnection that in the end leads to an unanticipated awakening and personal redemption. Showcasing the talents of David Starthairn, Ian Somerhalder, Daniel Gillies, Jane Adams, Ann Cusack, Elisabeth Waterston, Joe Mazzello, and Scott Wilson, all under the direction of Aaron J. Wiederspahn, "The Sensation Of Sight" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library DVD film collections.

This film depicts, in many facets, the human spirit finding release. It's funny, alarming, deeply moving, whimsical. It's beautifully shot. The ensemble cast is striking, and David Straithairn may snag his Oscar for this one. B.Marie

I can see why this is more a film festival type movie. I got it as I am a Ian Somerhalder fan (well actually Vampire Diaries fan) and was interested in some of the other work he has done. The movie story is about how the events in ones life can mould that persons future. Ian and the book seller are linked through the death of a young boy. The other characters have their own issues but their paths cross those of Ian and the book seller. Ians voice the same but he had longish hair, which I am not used to. Events unfold to the point where the book seller and Ian are greiving about the same situation, at the same time in the same place. The book seller is on the way to recovery but I guess Ian was not - had to put my own interpretation on it. Most memorable two moments - Ian smoking a cigarette and Ian trying to portray grief - his face twisted crying and all I could see was his pretty white teeth (which seemed out of place) and his beautiful face as per Damon Salvador from Vampire Diaries. I am glad his acting has improved but I guess we all have to start somewhere.