When we asked Gael Garcia Bernal about how he thinks audiences will react to Blindness, he responded with, “I dunno. Let’s see.”

We just assumed he was a man of few words (churned out in a sexy Spanish accent), and naturally, we swooned anyway.

But apparently the negative reaction in Cannes was repeated in Toronto. The premiere on Saturday was described as a “two-hour post-apocalyptic nightmare,” as audience members were more engaged with their portable communication devices (we are refraining from using the B and i words from now on) than Bernal’s green eyes.

What happened? We know everyone worked hard; Don McKellar told us about the blindness-simulating exercises they did to train for the film. It goes to show that a stellar (and attractive) cast doesn’t equal a successful movie.—Melita Kuburas

Related:• View photos of Gael Garcia Bernal and the cast of Blindness from the premiere