February 17, 2010

Blind Side - 2009

Director: John Lee Hancock
Writer: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron

"The first check you write is for the mortgage, and the second is for the insurance. The left tackle's job is to protect the quarterback from what he can't see coming. To protect his blind side." Based on the book by Michael Lewis, Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher (Aaron), and how he overcame the unfortunate circumstances around his youth with the aid of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (McGraw & Bullock).

If you want to see yet another tearjerker about upper-class white people helping out urban youth, or are a football fan, or an especially big fan of Oher (I'd never heard of him before), I'm sure you'd like the movie. From a filmmaking perspective, it's got quite a few flaws:
  • starts off with a scene that occurs chronological near the end of the film
  • emotional moments not backed by score
  • no explanation of how Michael can drive
  • lapses in Bullock's accent
  • pointless dialogue (Kathy Bates's character "confesses" to being a Democrat, like that's a bad thing)
There's also a strong religious element not depicted in the trailers ("We need to help him because we're good Christians"), racism from Bullock's character (who later defends Michael against another racist), and an application of "Charge of the Light Brigade" to football. To me, it's wholly unremarkable, and I'm ashamed that the Academy would consider this Oscar-worthy. Also, the kid playing SJ Tuohy is just plain annoying.

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