More like this
Academy Awards winner: The Blind Side
Oscars won: best actress, Sandra Bullock
In this true story, directed by John Lee Hancock, Sandra Bullock plays a Baltimore woman who takes in a homeless young black man, Michael Oher, whom she helps to become a college footballer. Oher went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens.
The role is a huge departure for Bullock and sees her shake off her more recent ditzy roles such as The Proposal and Miss Congeniality. Bullock had already won the Golden Globe for best actress before picking up the Oscar last night.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID:Betsy Sharkey, the Los Angeles Times: "In the end, this is Bullock's movie. She is Leigh Anne to such a degree you forget you're watching one of the best-known actresses around. And while her sass is both endearing and highly entertaining, it is the way she masks Leigh Anne's 'never let them see you cry' vulnerability... that leaves you cheering for her."
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: "Sticking safely to proven inspirational sports-movie/fish-out-of-water formulas while holding the inherent sociological issues to the sidelines, the dramedy doesn't skimp on the crowd-pleasing stuff, but given the setup, there also was room for more thought-provoking substance."
AO Scott, the New York Times: "The Blind Side, written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo), is, in effect, a live-action, reality-based version of a Disney cartoon: it's the heartwarming tale of a foundling taken in by strangers, who accept him even though he’s different and treat him as one of their own."
'The Blind Side' opens in the UK on March 26. ·
Comments are now closed on this article
Comments
So i decided to give BLIND SIDE a chance. And OMG my assumptions based on the first 5mins of watchin this film were ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.They might as well of nicknamed the black guy the BFG. This story is about the rising up of a black guy who is painted as dumb, gullible, strong and stupid whose only friends at school are children aged 4-6 who he plays with IN THE PLAYGROUND. Did i 4get to mention that he is 18 years old and oh yea, even his adoptive brother aged 6 is shown as havin more brains. The only and i mean THE ONLY other black ppl in the film are junkies,drug pusher's and criminals ALL of whom live in the ghetto. i can only assume that this film was directed by some white guy who thought it'd be nice to do a little 'charity work' and encourage the rest of us black folks to strive for betta by seeing how a black guy made it outta the ghetto thanx to the 'white in shining hero's' of the film - that being the family, the teachers, the coaches etc. Sorry to sound so cynical it is actually a good story and one that tugs at the heart strings. But it feels like the director of this film is some1 who has had no experience of a life outside the walls of disney world and has who has solely relied on the stereotypes of ghetto films to build up a misguided perception of ALL the black ppl in his film! This film is reminiscent of a disney film that has been candy flossed over so as not to offend wid scenes that are 'too real', 'uncomfortable' or 'upsetting'. This film has been squeaky cleaned to an inch of its life and has glazed over the depths of a true story which would have been more compellin had the director/producers invested the time and effort into gettin their hands dirty and showing the realities of this man's struggles. I love sandra bullock but i dont understand how she got the oscar for this? Or why after doin a film like 'crash', she would want to associate herself wid this? Its more suited to channel 5's afternoon movies i give it 2 outta 5!