Reviewed by Kate Rodger
As with The Hurt Locker, we have been waiting so long for The Blind Side that a good many of us will have already seen it in-flight or even on DVD.
But nonetheless, here it is, complete with Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning performance. And along with her awards-season winning streak, and the surge of heartfelt public support over her cheating husband, the box office popularity of this film here I would imagine is pretty assured.
The Blind Side is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, based on the book by Michael Lewis. It’s the true story of American footballer Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), and his rise from homelessness and poverty to become a rising star of college football, eventually playing for the NFL.
According to this story, his rise was due almost entirely to his adoptive mother (Sandra Bullock), a rich god-faring woman, who plucked him from the streets, gave him a home, a family, and the will to strive to succeed.
It’s an accessible and inspirational story, which unfortunately made for an entirely unexceptional few hours in the cinema.
Only on Planet Hollywood would we see this movie nominated for an Oscar, and had there been only the usual five Best Picture nominations it wouldn’t have. Sandra Bullock as an actress has never impressed me, and while this performance was at least not the bumbling buffoonery of Miss Congeniality, it still didn’t ring “Oscar” to me.
That said, she is clearly beloved by audiences everywhere, and it’s very easy to embrace her likability on screen. There is also plenty in this true story to appeal to her fans.
It was in the very ho-hum almost lazy movie-by-numbers way this film was delivered which sucked all the drama from it. I felt like I was watching a made-for-TV movie on a Sunday afternoon. It felt tired and clichéd and the frequent and obvious emotional button-pushing failed to ignite any real response from me.
Two and a Half Stars.
The Blind Side
:: Director:John Lee Hancock
:: Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron
:: Running Time: 128 mins
:: Rating: PG - contains coarse language
:: Release Date: May 6, 2010
source: newshub archive
