Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Rating: 10/10 (13 September 2010)

Sandra Bullock is a very rare kind of lady. I hope she will forgive me for saying this but when she first hit our screens I could not see her as beautiful, although pretty. However from the first time she stepped in front of a camera I knew she was an actress of undoubted talent Now as she is getting older (but still a young woman of course) she is and indeed has transformed into a beautiful woman.
One thing she has a knack for is picking the right movie to appear in and every movie she has made has been at the very least excellent. The possible exception to this is Miss Congeniality 2.
I have given a synopsis of the movie below so if you don't want to read it simply skip over it.
The Blind Side is one of those movies which I feel is flawless in both the dialogue, directing and of course the acting.
Michael Oher is played by Quinton Aaron, a relative newcomer to the silver screen and in his first starring role. Although he played his part to perfection and I feel choosing him for this role was inspired by the Director John Lee Hancock I am wondering if he is likely to become typecast due to his size and will end up playing bully boy roles. I really do hope not as the way he portrayed Michael Oher tells me he deserves a lot more than that.
He was nominated for four awards for his acting in The Blind Side and I am surprised he did not win even one. Morgan Freeman beat him for two of the awards for his role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus. If Aaron is up there with the mighties like Freeman it shows that he is an actor of enormous potential.
14 year old Jae Head played the role of SJ Tuohy and the many scenes he played with Aaron were marvellously played and I certainly got the impression that both Arron and Jae developed an affinity with each other. Jae won a PFCS Award for Best Performance by a Male Youth and was nominated for Best Young Actor by Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards. He certainly deserved this.
Sandra Bullock played her part of Leigh Anne Tuohy as usual to perfection and I feel she portrayed her role as a combination of Mother Teresa and Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Habit). As wonderful and caring as Leigh Anne was she certainly knew how to take care of herself and did not suffer fools at all. Poor Coach Burt Cotton, played by Ray McKinnon found that out.
Did you know that Sandra turned the part of Leigh Anne down three times because she was concerned about playing the part of a devout Christian? Sandra won several awards for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy including her first Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. There has been quite a few excellent contenders for Oscar's this year and for her to scoop this for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is praise indeed. Sandra has been nominated for 37 awards and won 36 of them which is a record many actors will be extremely envious of.
There is not a lot we can say about Kathy Bates who portrayed Missy Sue (Michael's tutor) except that when she appears on the screen you know she is going to give an excellent performance, as she always does, and she did not disappoint us this time.
I feel that every aspect of this fact based movie, the script, direction and acting was superb. Although Aaron and Sandra were the stars each and every other actor played their parts admirably and it was coup being able to get all of them together to make a very memorable and touching movie.
My advice is either get it out on DVD rental or get to the cinema and watch this movie. You won't be disappointed.
SPOILER BEGINS: The Blind Side is the fact based story of Michael Oher, a black young man, who in his young life had been shunted from pillar to post. Although he was a giant of a lad he was and I am sure still is as gentle as a lamb.
Michael was eventually taken in by a white family from Tennessee where he was nurtured and loved by the whole family.
Although he was an extremely intelligent adolescent he found it difficult communicating with anyone and learning.
With the love and help of both Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), the wife of the family and her son SJ. Tuohy (Jae Head) Michael gained in confidence and managed to get high enough grades to play in his college football team.
It took him a while to 'fit' into the team but once he had he took his team to the championship title where he was seen by several high ranking universities including Mississippi. These universities wanted him because of his immense talent on the football field.
Because his grades were not good enough he could not join any of these universities, so Leigh Anne engaged a private tutor, Miss Sue (Kathy Bates) in the hope that she could get him up to the required grades.
All those who have heard of Michael Oher will know that the rest is history.
SPOILER ENDS: