Blind Side, The : DVD Review




Title: The Blind Side
Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins.
Director: John Lee Hancock
Certificate: 12
Duration: 2 hours and 8 minutes
Reviewed on DVD

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is living on his own, he’s pretty much homeless, after running away from a foster home. He’s only a teenager and he’s living on the streets. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) sees him and when she realises that he is the classmate of her own daughter she lets him stay at their home for the night. With nowhere else to go Michael soon becomes one of the family and Leigh Anne helps him to fulfil his potential. Michael is a natural athlete, he excels at American football.

Blind Side is a beautiful, inspiring story. It is well told and impeccably acted. It’s easy to see why Bullock won an Oscar for her performance. I really enjoyed the film despite not really expecting to. It was touching and poignant, it’s also easily Sandra Bullock’s finest performance in a long time, in fact ever. It’s a story about love, friendship and compassion. It’s heart-warming and really quite moving. I’ve no doubt it’ll be an emotional watch for many viewers.

The direction by John Lee Hancock is solid throughout. The tone is near-perfect and the pacing and length is about right. Obviously the film includes quite a bit of sporting action and Hancock directs this well, but the real heart of the film is off the pitch and the scenes between Aaron and Bullock.

Not every actor is offered the chance to make their ‘masterpiece’, their Oscar-worthy film, especially after making bullshit films like Miss Congeniality and its sequel as well as a host of other forgettable rom-coms. The Blind Side is Bullock’s Oscar-worthy script and she clearly took the opportunity with both hands and turned it into Oscar gold – deservedly so. Whether this will lead to other serious, dramatic roles for Bullock is another question but on this showing she deserves the chance to take on some more important roles in the future. This could easily be the film that turns her career around from lame rom-coms to genuinely watchable, interesting, worthwhile films.

Author : Kevin Stanley