Surprisingly Good

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2010)

This movie belongs to Sandra Bullock, who I will admit, I dislike as an actress. I think in movies generally the RomCom genre she usually appears in, makes her roles tired, and she often appears tired in those movies. When she has done serious, she always appears to me to lack the chops to make the roles believable or real. This is different. This movie starts off with characters, and builds them. Remember when films used to require a script, and acting...well "The Blind Side" is that kind of movie. Sandra Bullock is astonishing (not sure if it is her, or my generally low expectations for her) but she takes the role and makes it her own. I am not American and have no idea about American Football, but that is not the core of the story.
The heart of the story is a family that opens their home to a boy who seems to have nothing, but of course has so much...it just requires getting over petty stereotypes. It could have fallen into cliché, and there were moments when it teetered on the verge, but it always managed to stay on the rails. The support cast is outstanding, and altogether it is a positive and uplifting film without being cloying or chocolate box. For someone who had low expectations, take it from me, this one is worth the time and money. Sandra Bullock deserves her Golden Globes nomination for this movie although having been nominated for "The Proposal" as well might take some of the sheen off this gem.