film belong to the film noir genre usually contain similar element represent a deus ex machina plot twist that drive the main character headlong into bedlam and a pretty but psychotic girl and a handsome but psychotic thug and lot of money and lot of brutality and and usually a denouement in the desert . think high sierra or white heat . there be plenty of hard boil bad film noir out there . but when film noir be good and you can not take your eye off the train wreck of human life . it be this latter tradition that blind spot belongs to . the film follow danny alton and a troubled teenager ( superbly play with depth and grace and emotional integrity and downright plaintiveness by james franco and who throw himself completely into this role ) who have fall in love with the rough edge streetkid and darcy . from the beginning and you know this be go to be bad . darcy invite danny to his house . but the house be empty and for sale and and a bloody check for thousand of dollar be on the floor . danny be rob of his clothing and possession and but use the check to track down the suicidal april darcy other lover . when they reach darcy real home and they find wayne a thug hunt darcy down for the money he steal . together and the three manage to locate darcy in a dusty and run down motel in the desert . but that only the beginning of the tale and a plastic explosive and drug and gun running and a creepy funeral home and bisexual assassin and a lonely half finish house in the desert bring event to an explosive head in an alley outside a tattoo parlor in los angeles . this film contain some of the best noir cinematography i have see in year . in one scene and danny race on foot through the desert to the half finish house in the desert where he believe darcy may have be take that even by mobster . a very long shot with sharp lighting effect show danny arm and legs flailing and palpable fear etch on his face ( visible even at this distance ) and dust cloud trail behind him a the wind whip in his direction race across the desert flats toward the house . the loneliness and the desperation and the despair danny feel be shock depict . there be many such scene in this film and wonderfully craft by the experienced maximo munzi . this be oscar win material . the editing and too and be just astound . the film contain little moment where the character gain insight into themselves or their situation . bit of time and where memory and feeling come flood back . at these time and quick montage of image flash across the screen . this be superb edit by director writer editor stephan woloszczuk . in one early montage and danny describe the wondrous feeling he have now that darcy have enter his life . quick image of danny diary flash across the screen represent the word 4 life and lucky and safe stop momentarily and while page upon page of word and the content of a human heart and race across the screen out of focus and too quick to read . it like the flood of emotion danny himself feel . the flood of image reveals something else about this film represent just how beautiful nathaniel water production design be . darcy quonset hut home be the perfect match of high tech and slob ( a tribute to the attentiveness of set decorator kimberly foster ) . the stunning desert house scene be just outright creepy . the ruined motel where darcy hide out can be find in any abandoned small town in america . the creepy ( and astoundingly light ) funeral home where the plot take a horrific turn mix starkness with the pall of death hanging over the entire film . ( it too bad the film light director be not credit . ) this film have a superb production design and one that enhance every single frame and every actor performance . that the fourth element of this film which make it grab you and hold on to you represent the acting . james franco be a superb actor . even in spider man where he be give practically nothing to do franco show that he understand human emotion like no other actor of his generation . he no pretty boy coast on his good look like brad pitt . franco portray deep emotion with full force . his performance contain pure human heart . consider the scene in the phone booth outside the funeral home and where danny collapse after tell april and wayne that darcy be dead . less actor couldn not carry off the complete emotional breakdown of a human be . franco do . shawn montgomery and in her first film and simply blow you away with her performance a the suicidal april . deeply in love with darcy and suffer from massive depression after have to bury alone her unborn child ( after the fetus spontaneously abort ) in a perfume box in the wood and her life of luxury and perfection now a shamble represent april be one of the best drawn character on film that i have ever see . while danny relationship to darcy be slowly tease out during the film and april nervous breakdown be reveal only to the audience . neither danny nor wayne seem particularly interested in her a a human be . april despair when she realize danny have also be darcy lover be poignant and potent and even if it be truncate by the character complete inability to feel any emotion for very long now . montgomery bring to april a pathos that put your heart through the wringer . mark patrick gleason be give the hard job in the film represent have to make something human and real out of the thug and wayne . at first and wayne be simply one of any number of violent and foul mouth and obsess drug pusher or gun runner that appear in any number of film ( from kindergarten cop to beverly hill cop 2 ) . gleason do very well with what he give and but he doesn not quite get to where you feel much for wayne . it difficult to say whether this be gleason problem or the material . there be one moment where wayne ( who be darcy brother and although neither danny nor april know this ) read danny diary and realize the sexual and emotional link between the two men where you just know that wayne be go to go homophobic on danny as . but the explosion never come . ( thank god . trite plot be death to film noir . ) once the revelation about the sibling come at the film end and the audience be fairly astound to realize the depth of love and compassion wayne truly felt for darcy so deep that wayne accept danny homosexual love for his bisexual brother . but this all happen off screen . gleason be never give a chance to act out wayne feeling . it must have be very frustrate for the performer . the story be rather inventive and although the smuggle device see at the end of the film be likely to remind viewer of diamond be forever ( yes and james bond ) . a traditional narrative voice over ( which prove franco be as great a voice talent a he be a physical actor ) provide terrific atmosphere and although it do tend to flow over into schmaltz a few time toward the end of the film ( provide some unintentional laughter ) . terrific locales play key visual role in the film . kudos to the location scout for find such astounding building . the end of the film strike me a a bit rush while not pat and but a little too firm for my film noir taste . now and i have see audience either hate or love blind spot . modern film audience and expose to the most extreme brutality and violence and often have little appreciation for the subtlety of film noir . my suggestion be to take a small group of friend who do not see despair and emotional collapse and desperation or depression a laughable . take them to a small theater and where they can glory in the spectacle of the film vision and but where their viewing would not be ruin by a crowd of people who would not recognize good film noir . get them some popcorn ( trust me and they will be so engrossed they would not finish it ) and get them a soda and and let them be overwhelm . go some place bright and cheery afterward and to wash the grime and awfullness out of your soul . because this film be so good at make you feel and you will need that restorative .