High concept matches execution!!!

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2019)

Bird Box
This is one of those rare movies where it's uniquely brilliant concept, is matched by its kill shot execution.
Judging from cinematic history, a superb concept, is much easier to conceive, than it is to execute on screen. Exciting conceptual Films regularly dwindle into the abyss due to heavy handed and clumsy film making. Take The Purge for example, taken from ground breaking potential, to mind numbing horror. Very rarely do the Inception's of this world come along, that can truly match the birth of an idea and the portrayal of that idea! Bird Box definitely achieves this!
End of the world themed movies are a dime a dozen but this is a whole new take on that premise. The fear of living in the dark(quite literally,) to go along with the fear of being chased and then to add fuel to the world ending fire, we have children in this gut wrenching disaster movie.
I say 'disaster movie' knowing people immediately think of films like Independence Day and Armageddon. Both classics in their own way but I very much enjoyed how grounded Bird Box is.
It's the story of a woman who's strong, assured and powerful but she has no idea how to love. Who could play such a part to absolute perfection?
Enter..Sandra Bullock!
For me, she is one of the most captivating actresses on the planet. She successfully elevated this film to another stratosphere. Her range as an actress has no limits and she humanises any role she takes her hand too. To connect us to every individual major character, in a story of outrageous concept like this, you need a world class centre piece such as Sandy Bulls. From the opening she hits me with an acting punch that has me immediately hooked, and from that point on I'm riding shotgun with her, in this journey of monumental tension.
So, as I rave about the work of Sandy, I ask myself, would this film have been anywhere near as good with her in the central role? Well her colleagues are not to be snuffed at.
John Malkovich, who in my opinion often over does it, gets it just right for me in this one, being just the right amount of crazy. Danielle Macdonald(currently staring in everything the world has to offer) shows that she is definitely one of the new, up and comers to watch on the streaming/cinematic circuits. Her moments interacting with Bullock could easily have been the equivalent of MGK challenging Eminem to a battle of lyrical prowess, but instead she rose to the challenge and matched what Sandy brought to the table.
As for handsome strong black guy? Emma certainly enjoyed him and my trip to the gym has been accelerated to the morrow! The child actors are frighteningly good and their presence definitely elevated the intensity levels.
So, would this film of been as good without Sandra Bullock? In my opinion it's a resounding NO. However, is The Dark Knight as good without Heath Ledger?
Overall, I think this film is pretty close to a modern masterpiece. As I said in the beginning, when a superb concept matches execution, along with a world class actress in the mix, then you're truly on to a winner.
A film this good, that will never see a mass release in the cinema, seems kind of a shame to me, but maybe I'm just an old romantic!