Movie Reviews - The Blind Side

Movie Reviews this week looks at the Oscar winning biographical drama The Blind Side.
It is an absolutely charming story, of Leigh Anne Tuohy played by the lovely Sandra Bullock (Speed), and the story of her adopted son, and you can see immediately why she won the best actress Oscar.

She plays a conservative mother in a very nice and well-off neighbourhood, who sees Michael Oher played very convincingly by Quinton Aaron, one rainy night walking aimlessly, she asks her husband Sean played by Tim McGraw (Four Christmases), to stop the car, she asks him where he is heading seeing he is just in a t-shirt in the pouring rain, he says he is going to the gym, she asks him again why he is going to the gym, and tells him the gym closed a while back, and for him not to lie to her, he says he is simply going there because it is warm.

Prior to this, we are told the story of how Mike got into the school in the first place. The coach at this Christian school, Burt Cotton played charmingly as always by Ray McKinnon (Randy and the Mob) had been approached by a fellow to allow his son into the school, as well as Mike, the coach sees Mike and the man's son playing basketball and sees the potential of Mike making them famous on a sporting arena, so convinces the board that it is their Christian duty to let him in. However in class Mike seems distant minded, and all the teachers are worried as he seems the slowest in the class, except for one particular teacher Mrs. Bower played the lovely Kim Dickens (Hollow Man) who notices Mike remembers the majority of what the teachers are saying, as he is able to describe in his own words the grasp of what it is they are saying, but may not necessarily write it down as eloquently as they wanted. As all the teachers are discussing Mike's ability one day, wondering if he can write, Mrs. Bower shows them a note that Mike had written that had been thrown in the trash, speaking of his sadness and what the teachers expect of him, to do all the work alone.

Leigh asks where he lives, his parents, or grandparents, Mike shakes his head nonchalantly, and Leigh amazingly takes him to her home, with a mild confrontation with her husband as to how long Mike is going to stay, he asks "This is just for the one night"? Where Leigh nods absentmindedly, but the expression on her face is already thinking of much longer term.

Mike gets along with Leigh's two children, her son S.J. played very impressively by Jae Head, and her daughter Collins played by the adorable Lily Collins, Leigh asks her how she would feel if Mike moved in with them permanently, she nonchalantly agrees, and when Mike is asked how he would feel moving having Leigh and Sean as his legal guardians, he smiles and thought he was already part of the family.

The Blind Side turns out is a very beautiful movie, of acceptance and love that a young man needs, and the struggle one woman faces with social services, her social circles, and the community in trying to make one boy's life better, and what makes this movie even more amazing is this is a true story.

Movie Reviews is constantly updated with good reviews of great movies that are a must see.

Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) sitting with her adopted son, Mike (Quinon Aaron)

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Sisterhood of the traveling pants

Sisterhood of the traveling(sic) pants

I wanted to watch this movie as I heard it was close to the book, albeit a few changes, as most adapted books inevitably go through for the big screen. I also wanted to watch it as it starred America Ferrara( from Ugly Betty and Ugly she is not!). It is a story of friendship amongst four lovable girls as they turn 17 on their summer holidays. Carmen (America Ferrara) the writer, Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) the rebel, shy and beautiful Lena (Alexis Bledel), and wild and unstoppable Bridget (Blake Lively). It surrounds a pair of jeans that fits them all perfectly (hence the name), and the 'sisterhood' decide to wear them each in turn during their summer holidays and to make a mention if anything of any note happens whilst they have these 'magical' pants on. As they have never been apart from each other all their lives, the pants immediately represent their angst as they go on separate lives from each other for the first time, a kind of focus point to remember each other by. Bridget (Blake Lively) has the most energetic role as she is a soccer star, going to a girls training camp in Mexico or as Libby put it (el campo del futbol). However Bridget has lost her mother, and although her friends and extra activities have helped her avoid it, she has never come to grips with such a monumental loss, and the movie brings this bad episode as a stark reminder of the void she is missing. Lena I found was the most lovable of the lot, her shyness, and innocence (and apparently she is really that shy in real life) makes her adorable, and those lovely puppy dog eyes makes her even moreso, she is visiting her eccentric greek grand parents Yaya and Papou played magnificently by Maria Constadadou, and George Touliatos respectively. Bridget visits her seperated father in a development, and comes to the shocking knowledge that he is about to be married to another woman with kids of her own, the biggest change has to be for Tibby, whilst "her friends jetoff on their little adventures" she is stuck at Walmall (Walmart anyone?) trying to raise enough money for new video equipment, as she is an aspiring documentary director, she meets 12 year old Bailey (played superbly by Jenna Boyd) who really steals every scene she is in, it is impresive such a presence from such a little girl. This is a nice family movie, and you see their world through their eyes as they are forced to confront some painful issues.

The lovely sisterhood of the traveling pants

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