Film Review: The Blind Side

Film Review

Courtesy of my fabulous friend and See Film First, I found myself at the screening of The Blind Side last night.  The new film featuring Sandra Bullock, up for an Oscar and already awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, is based on a true story about Michael Oher who became a top American footballer.

Knowing nada about the sport and not giving this film priority on my increasingly expanding to-do movie list, I feared the schmultz of all schmultz and a lot of yankee saccharine blah blah. And you know what, Bullock’s performance is sheer empathy; she is slick and her acting is refined and boy does she work it in head-to-toe glitz, slap and those excessive highlights.

Armed with unadulterated British cynicism from the opening scene, this was thankfully dispersed within seconds. Throughout, I observed a dignity in the manner in which the film succinctly portrays two sides of Memphis, the extremely privileged and those who have nothing at all, including no bed on which to sleep each night. Oher’s mother is a crack addict and alcoholic with tons of children, all of whom have been sent to foster homes.

Bullock plays Leigh Ann Tuohy, Michael’s personal Mother Teresa. By rescuing him from the direness that has been his daily reality until the age of 18, she and her family benefit from taking him in, the private Christian school benefits, her fake and rich best friends get an earful from her and the film emerges polished, humane and however predictable, it has to be watched through.

The role of Leigh Ann’s son is played by Jae Head who fills the screen; his brotherly bonding with Michael is credible, the camera adores him, he is savvy, cute and someone please stop his adult teeth coming through – they are divine as they are…!

I was totally immersed, my face was covered in tears and I left the cinema feeling uplifted. Thought I didn’t ‘do’ feel good movies…..!