Blind Dating

 ‘Blind Dating’ finally reaches our screens – presumably thanks to the rising star wattage of leading man Chris Pine, this summer’s Captain Kirk. Directed by James Keach, brother of Stacy and star of western ‘The Long Riders’, it’s the tale of blind twentysomething Danny (Pine) and his troubles with women.The film starts out as a high-concept romcom, complete with sassy black best friend and foulmouthed younger brother, before developing awkwardly into a culture-clash comedy after the introduction of Dee Macaluso’s Indian-American love interest Lucia. The final act descends into melodrama, as Danny has a potentially sight-restoring operation, and his family rally for a climactic orgy of hugging and learning. ‘Blind Dating’ is not a bad film, but its delayed release is not surprising: there’s little to entice audiences beyond Pine’s watchable performance. Pleasant but forgettable, it’s destined to end up as little more than a minor footnote on Pine’s megastar CV.