Tim McGraw
The Blind Side
Reviewed by Mike Attebery
If you see ‘The Blind Side,’ you’re seeing it for Sandra Bullock, who won the Academy Award for her truly-deserving performance. Tim McGraw (incognito sans goatee) is adequate as Bullock’s Taco Bell franchise-owning hubby. The kid playing their son is a bit too cute. The girl playing their daughter is strictly okay. Quinton Aaron turns in a solid performance as Michael “Big Mike” Oher, albeit it one that suffers from some on-the-nose direction and editing by John Lee Hancock. A little more subtley, and fewer knowing smiles would have done wonders. But let’s face it, these folks are all here to help Bullock shine as the brassy southern lady who plays by her own rules (and I don’t mean football), and does what her heart and spirit tell her to do. And God help the down-the-middle-folks who try to tell her otherwise.
There are no surprises in this one, allowing it to rest squarely in the comfort food genre of cinema. This is warm light, cheap beer, hot pizza, family night viewing. Oh, and you can tell your more cynical relatives to stay home and watch ‘Breaking Bad.' This is a movie without conflicted thinking or fuel for great introspection, which is why I find it doubly surprising that it's based on a book by Michael Lewis (The Big Short)! If you’re the type to contemplate watching this, you’ll know it. Yes, I suppose I’m occasionally that type (Though I did watch it when Steph was out), but I can’t say I felt all that great about myself when it was over. Bullock scores a touchdown here. Everything else seems farm league.
As for this Blu-ray. The picture is very, very nice. Audio gets the job done, but never draws attention to itself. Extras are pretty run of the mill.
If you check it out, go for the Blu-ray.