The Blind Side An Excellent Drama Based On A True Story

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2010)

The Blind Side is an excellent drama based on a true story with exceptional performances by the cast. This film is about Michael Oher a homeless teenager who went on to become a first round NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens for left tackle in 2009. Writer/Director John Lee Hancock is admirable in bringing Michael's true story to the big screen that was much better than expected and it left me feeling entertained from beginning to end. It has a compelling coming of age story with a nice balance between drama and humor. Sandra Bullock turns in one of her best performances as Leigh Ann Tuohy and I for one believe she deserved the Oscar she won for the role. She's proved in every movie despite it's flaws her talent as an actress and this one is no different. Bullock plays Leigh Ann who through an act of kindness takes in a homeless teenage African-American, named Michael "Big Mike" Oher played effectively by Quinton Aaron. I haven't seen him anything before but I thought Aaron was equally impressive as Michael a poor teenager looking for something he's never had before; a family. Bullock, Aaron, and the rest of the cast had nice chemistry with each other on screen making their growing friendships believable. Tim McGraw turned in a solid performance as Leigh's husband Sean who becomes a surrogate father to Michael. I haven't seen McGraw in too many movies either but he still gives a good performance none the less. The rest of the cast including Lily Collins as Leigh's daughter Collins, Ray McKinnon, and Kim Dickens are effective as the supporting characters. Jae Head as Leighs son S.J. was the stand out who like the rest of his family forms an unbreakable bond with Michael. Jae Head impressed me with his performance whether it was acting like a drill sergeant while training Michael or demanding full access to him while he's in college. He provides the film with some great comic relief and his dialog delivery makes it that much funnier. He also had genuine chemistry with Aaron (Bullock, McGraw, and Collins) in their scenes together. Well done. Kathy Bates shows up in a small role as Mike's tutor Miss Sue and she does what her brief part requires. I heard this film was good but it surpassed by expectations. Besides some characters who aren't really developed (Bates) and a few predictable moments. Overall the good more than outweighed the bad because I enjoyed The Blind Side. I became invested in the main characters and the story which made the 128 minutes running time move at a steady pace. The moments of humor are executed perfectly mostly from Jae Head's great comic timing. I'll admit I wasn't expecting much but after watching this I can see why many people including critics liked it. If you're in the mood for an inspirational true to life story with drama, humor, and solid performances by the cast (Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, and especially Jae Head), you can't go wrong with the Blind Side. It has everything you could ever want and expect from one of this films. Give the Blind Side a chance. It was much better than anticipated.