Colourblind (2019) Film Review
If you question Nathan Hill’s style of films, then you’re probably not in tune with what he’s aiming for. And it’s alright. You don’t have to be. His films aren’t cinematic juggernauts, they don’t have the highest production value, and he’s not one to care about simple mistakes. Hill commits to his own movies by admitting they’re passion projects and not pushing for something beyond what he can do with a restricted budget. With Colourblind you will once again witness a natural storyteller who’s not afraid to be campy, and in this case, a bit too dramatic. Let’s go!
Apart from writing and directing (and probably doing a whole lot of work that doesn’t get credited firsthand), Hill also stars again in his own film. This time he plays Jaffy, which is a basic variation of his private investigator character, Jasper. Jaffy is hired to follow Sia because she appears to be suicidal, but her mother hires another investigator to follow Jaffy and Sia. Eventually, we learn that Jaffy is colorblind but through movie magic he’s able to see Sia in full color. Of course, he falls in love with her but then she finds out he’s spying on her and she’s anything but happy about it.
One thing Hill does differently in Colourblind is that he allows himself to take a break and makes a much simpler film than the others I’ve seen from his catalog. Though Jaffy is more melancholic, he’s more believable in terms of his arc. The story calls for saccharine moments that Hill curiously performs really well, and the film flows into its drama momentum and stays inside it. Colourblind is a love story by a dude who doesn’t do them very often, and it proves he can do them.
Colourblind does deliver in its climax with a conflict resolution that isn’t entirely explosive or white-knuckle. It just provides closure in a story that needs it because its lead character is compelling enough to make us plead for one. I won’t spoil what happens, but Hill creatively solves the riddle of Jaffy’s feelings.
Nevertheless, the film also complies with Hill’s usual set of shenanigans. Campy fight sequences, inconsistent sound effects and a bit of skin. But what stands out from Colourblind is that damn punch to the eye. It doesn’t look that bad until it swells up. After that, whoever did the makeup went beyond the genre boundaries and accomplished one gnarly effect that will stay with you. If it weren’t so grisly, I would say it’s realistic. This only makes me say: I hope there’s a horror movie in what follows in the Hill-verse.
