Rebel, Rebel

Rating: 6/10 (11 December 2009)

Greetings again from the darkness. The Sandra Bullock factor kept me away from this for the the first month. I just couldn't bring myself to watch her same old lame act one more time - especially since she has already been in about 12 movies this year. Wow, what a pleasant surprise this was.
Based on the amazing story of Michael Oher, Bullock delivers her best work in years, maybe ever. On top of that, Quinton Aaron is terrific as Mr. Oher. The bond is uplifting and believable. Yes, it has some fluff and mass appeal formula, but it is certainly watchable and quite enjoyable.
We see very little of Oher's roots and the high school football coach is miscast and tough to watch, but those are the only minor quibbles I have with an otherwise fine movie that will (and already has) appealed to a wide audience. I often worry about my film snobbishness, but I bought off on this one and thanks go to director John Lee Hancock (The Alamo) for teetering, but not falling into full blown chick flick.