The Blind Side
Review
by David Woodward
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The Blind Side
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In recent years, Sandra Bullock has cultivated a
genre all her own by producing her own movies in which she plays strong
willed yet sensitive women who tend to dominate the men around her. This persona has been extended somewhat in The Blind Side,
a movie she did not produce herself but on which she stamps her own
personal qualities. Reportedly, Bullock took a pay cut and agreed to
receive a percentage of the profits. As
a result, she is sure to continue to receive critical acclaim and a
sizeable piece of the revenue the film is generating (taking upwards of
$247 Million at the US Box Office alone). In
this movie, she plays a married woman with children (perhaps for the
first time) but still manages to put across her basic likeable
character. The Blind Side
is about a poor, black, virtually homeless, teenager who is accepted
(without a moment's hesitation) and later adopted by a rich white
couple and their family. It follows
their support for him through several years at a college in Memphis,
his introduction to gridiron football, his gradual appreciation of what
family means and his selection in the senior ranks of college, and
ultimately, NFL football. I went into the theatre to watch The Blind Side
with a general affinity for Sandra Bullock's work and only a passing
knowledge of the recent US hype surrounding this particular
role. I left the theatre with an appreciation of her efforts in
trying to expand her screen persona ... but also with a complete lack
of understanding of the game of gridiron! It still astonishes me how Americans swarm to this football code. Bullock
inexplicably wears a blond hairstyle and talks with a strong Southern
accent which (for me) is only explained when it is revealed that the
story is based on a real life story about (you guessed it!) a blond
Southern woman and her family. This made her performance even more
impressive from my perspective. Nevertheless,
the storyline of the film is less about gridiron than about the love
that a woman and her family can provide to a deprived teenager and
their capacity to absorb him into their extended family. Based
on the reaction of the Australian audience, there is an instant rapport
with the storyline of love and family despite the differences in our
backgrounds. The other actors in the film
also need a mention, especially Kathy Bates in a small but pivotal role
as a tutor. Watch for Jae Head as Bullock’s son "S.J." who makes a
first impression similar to watching Macaulay Caulkin for the first
time. His confident approach and likeable nature could enable him to
take on similar (long neglected) juvenile roles. The Blind Side
is potentially a break-through movie for Sandra Bullock in which she
could transform from a box office diva to an actress of renown! 3.5 out
of 5
The Blind Side
Australian release: 25th February,
2010
Official
Site: The Blind Side
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron
Director: John Lee Hancock
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