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What it would be like to lose his eyesight at the age of eight, and then, after twenty years thanks to the miracle of modern medical science, to restore it? Brave, yes, but perhaps frightening as well. What was familiar and comfortable in the dark suddenly becomes a strange and threatening to light.

As a little girl, Emma Brody (Madeleine Stowe) blinded violence mother. For twenty years, she lived in the darkness, until one eye surgeon (Peter Friedman), it offers a cornea transplant to restore his vision. With mixed excitement and fear, it allows operation, first in one eye, then the other. Initially, it is imperfect vision - images and swim out of focus, and sometimes hallucinates she is likely to see things until one day after they occur. Shortly after returning to her home, Emma has witnessed killings - sort of. She sees the face of the suspect, but not until the day after the murder. Detective John Hallstrom (Aidan Quinn) did not know what Emma is a “vision”, but it is his only witness to appear to have the serial killings.

For blinks at work, the viewer must take a rather dubious plot device: that Emma eye-brain coordination screwed so that it sometimes takes a full day maximum before it is the person. Those that will find this very silly proposal will be difficult wading through the movie improbabilities. Fortunately, director Michael Apted has the ability to hide such an unlikely premise with flair.

Except for some insipid dialogue (snippets of which infect the entire production), flashes starts well. It is intriguing to follow the process of restoring a blind woman sight. Apted is attempting to provide the world with its terms, but while it is interesting in the beginning, he makes it too often.

The “thriller” part of the story takes some time to get going on in the first twenty minutes on the installation. When the killer is eventually, it happens in frightening place, partly helped Brad Fiedel in cacophonous music, and some intriguing camerawork. Much of the plot follows a fairly standard formula - cop and the victim meet, argue, the fall in love - but every time it looks like the flashes going to fall into the typical cliche, it somehow avoided this trap. This does not mean that there are not times when the situation becomes predictable, but at least the shows little originality, and the motive is unique.

Madeleine Stowe in Emma is a rarity - a strong-willed victim who is not afraid to fight back without the support of her husband. At times, Hallstrom seems almost superfluous. Indeed, could almost make the case for the role-reversal - Emma is the central character flashes, and the detective is the love interest.

Stowe portrays Emma, as a candid and independent, adequately convey mixed emotions, which are the result of its new sense of sight. Nevertheless, there are some lack of passion in the performance, resulting in some scenes where she is not convincing. Throughout his career, Stowe has excelled in the supporting role. Placed in the lead for the first time, some of its shortcomings are magnified.

Aidan Quinn is a nonentity. His character is not particularly likable, as is made clear in the first place, but Quinn vacillates between plays Hallstrom as arrogant jerk and sensitive hero. In the scenario, of course, part of the problem - writer Dana Stevens has a problem with the sequence of characters - Quinn, but never received a good deal of his role.

Michael Apted, best known for his documentaries (The 7 Up series and incidents at Oglala), develops a fine atmosphere, creating an ominous, strange Chicago. Unfortunately, Apted is not so strong leadership actors, as he was setting the mood.

Blinking offers a reasonable one hundred and six minutes worth of entertainment, a few chills, but not so many surprises. While this is not a breakthrough performance for Madeleine Stowe, she pulls Emma role with conviction. Nevertheless, except for the haunting and claustrophobic atmosphere, a little note here. It is a film noir - no more, no less.

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