It’s tough for any self-respecting critic to refrain from joyously tackling a Sandra Bullock movie — so it’s a good thing The Blind Side isn’t one. Although this true-story drama stars the guilty-until-proved-innocent romantic-comedy queen, it’s first-and-foremost a well-executed bio-pic of Baltimore Ravens rookie Michael Oher.
Before attaining All-American status at Ole Miss, Oher was a homeless adolescent in Memphis whose life was redirected thanks to a loving white and wealthy family. Absent powerful camerawork and inspired acting, this could have been a glorified Lifetime special, but without adding too much cheese, director John Lee Hancock channels genuine emotion from the Michael Lewis book (and the reality) that prompted this moving chronicle.
Not that you’d guess what’s in store from the trailers, which attempt to sell The Blind Side as Mandingo meets Wildcats and Dangerous Minds.
