Film Reviews

The Blind Side

• Rating:
• Director: John Lee Hancock
• Starring: Sandra Bullock
• Details: US / 129mins (12A).

A straight up triumph over adversity tale, The Blind Side may be storytelling on the most rudimentary level, but it's also a sweet, hugely positive film that should see you leaving the cinema with a smile on your face - but only if leave your cynicism at the door.
Very much executed in a 'gee-shucks' American manner, movies about their favourite pastime, football, generally don't travel well. But director Hancock realises the limitability of a sports movie, and instead spends an hour or so slowly introducing us to the characters before a quarter back is tackled in anger. He didn't need that much time, because the people at the centre of this story are simple folk, and essentially do the right thing because they're damn good Christians.
Sandra Bullock is Leigh Anne Tuohy, a rich, successful interior designer who meets a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, 'Big Mike', and takes him into her lavish family home. Mike had a hugely troubled childhood, and bounced from foster home to foster home before ending up on the streets, while attending a mainly white Christian school. Tuohy takes pity on him, and puts him up for the night, but he ends up staying after endearing himself to her family. Soon, he discovers a gift for football, and with the Tuohy's encouragement, he finally finds something he could be great at.
With Bullock picking up an Oscar for her work here, there is naturally a magnifying glass over her performance. Although strong, she has moments of awkwardness - most of them opposite Quinton Aaron's lumbering Mike. A fierce, tough but loyal woman who would do anything for her family, her apparent lack of complexity makes the film feel more cohesive, but doesn't really give the actress a lot to sink her teeth into. Aaron doesn't have an awful lot to do either, other than be insular but imposing - which in fairness he pulls off.
If you don't buy a rich white southern family taking in a poor black kid from the wrong side of the tracks for no reason other than they're good sorts, then this really isn't for you. However, if you want to see a simple but immensely feel good flick, then The Blind Side is worth a watch, because, quite frankly, the world needs more stories like this right now.

Review by Mike Sheridan