Movie Review "The Blind Side"

I had a chance to watch this Oscar nominated film this past Sunday and found it very endearing. One of things that made it so was the acting, especially the Oscar winning performance of Sandra Bullock. Also the acting of Quinton Aaron, who plays the title role of the film was very understated, and I think overlooked because of the star power of Sandra Bullock. However, there are a few scenes that he really shines, but I won't ruin them for you here. Also, Tim McGraw did a good job at being the father figure. I especially liked his little facial expressions when Sandra would say something. My wife and I could relate to that sort of stuff. It wasn't a lot, but it was well done and helped me really get a feeling for how this family dynamic works. There were a lot of other characters in the film that had memorable moments, but nothing stands out more than these few that I mentioned.

The pacing of the film was pretty good for the most part. As for most family drama's, I liked how it built up from a slower start to the action scenes later. The setup really paid off, and I think this was helped by the fact that this is based on a true story. Basically it's about a young man who is living on the streets and is taken in by Sandra Bullock's family. This is where he really develops into the character and football player that become prominent in the second half. Some of the understated things that happen in the movie like him getting his drivers license play a key part in things later on. If you watch it for just a character study it would be enough, but this movie goes a level deeper to show the reason behind his growth.

If you couldn't tell, I really enjoyed the film. It felt a little long because of the beginning build up, but after that it really gets moving and flows very well. I would give it a 4.5/5 rating. Nothing's perfect and this film suffers a bit because of the slower beginning.