The ticket was an enjoyable movie. I saw it with my hot girlfriend. Usually she spills popcorn down her shirt But she didn't wear her usual movie shirt and the sweater she wore had a high neckline...no popcorn spilled down her shirt...just everywhere else. Back to the movie..pretty good. I liked when he had his eyesight back and was nice to his wife. But that was fairly short lived because then this jerk decide to run-off with this other girl who wasn't even that hot--thats not a sexist comment--just the truth.
It’s too late for a spoiler alert, but that was my girlfriend’s two cents on The Ticket, a film that details the life of James, played by Dan Stevens, a husband and father of one boy who astoundingly regains his vision after an untreatable pituitary tumor pushing against his optic nerves shrinks. As James begins to experience life in all of its visual glory, an amalgamation of tempting vices begin to threaten his family bond.
In a short time, James leverages his confidence to protect his son, Jonah, from bullies and an apathetic principal at school while scaling the ranks at his mortgage refinancing job. An alternate love interest and co-worker, Jessica portrayed by Kerry Blishé, exacerbates his disregard for his past.
Equipped with invigorated vision and relentless ambition, both in work and in sexual interests, James creates a schism with Malin Åkerman’s Sam, his wife, as he seeks out a better life. James’ avarice, founded in his affinity for aesthetic beauty, acts as a cornerstone of the plot that creates a conflict between him and his best friend, Bob, who is also blind.
Eventually, James’ new desires catalyze their separation. James new car and home showcase his adoration for the superficial and willingness to submit to selfish tendencies. This tale originates from the perspective of a previously blind man, but the central theme spans beyond. Director Ido Fluk presents the audience with a conundrum that has encumbered us all. A dissatisfaction with our current life that can be summed up with the heavily touted maxim stating that the grass is always greener on the other side.
Within the bounds of his Sundance contender, Fluk presents a troubling question: how strongly do loyalty, intimacy, and familiarity hold for a man married to wife he has never seen and living in a home that he has never seen. Members of the audience might sympathize with the protagonist’s decision to leave his past behind to pursue a new life. Alternatively, James’ actions draw criticism as he fails to comprehend the implications of prioritizing avarice over the love of a family who was present throughout blindness.
Ultimately, this tension is what the director and actors seek to manifest. Specifically, a tension between superficial beauty and authentic benevolence is built for the audience to dissect.
If you’re looking for a powerful and absorbing film to enjoy before the theatrical prowess of Fate of the Furious hits theatres near you this Friday, give Fluk’s Sundance piece a try.
