After The Hurt Locker, I watched The Blind Side. Gusto ko namang makita kung bakit finally ay nakakuha na ng Oscar nod si Sandra Bullock after her many forgettable movies. At tinalo pa nya ang mga Oscar royalties like Dame Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep who is now on her record 16th nomination!
Nakakabilib nga naman ang pinakitang acting maturity ni Sandra dito. Believable sya as a white rich wife who was strong-willed and, at times fiery, yet possesses an unquestionably loving and caring heart. Sandra showed firm and convincing characterization of Leigh Ann Touhy (based on true story pala ito) from start to finish. Kaya hindi na masama ang loob ko if she beat my eternal fave Meryl.
May konting inconsistency lang akong nakita – something that I have become so aware of dahil sa kapapanood kay Meryl in her countless multi-accent roles before. Yon yong Southern twang nya (Sandra) na medyo nagpa-falter here and there. Minsan very pronounced yong accent nya, minsan wala. But other than that, it was Leigh Ann Touhy that registered in my mind all the way.
I’d give credit to director John Lee Hancock for squeezing the juices out of Sandra dahil nabantayan niya at na-eliminate ang mga pangit na movements/habits ni Sandra na dala-dala nya sa kahit anong pelikulang ginawa nya. Like yong akala mo’y nagi-i-stutter sya everytime she had to deliver a line in an emotionally intense scene. Dito, diretso ang delivery nya ng linya with much conviction and the right emotion.
But aside from making Sandra act, John Lee did a wonderful job in the whole film itself. Ito kasing mga ganitong klase ng story ang pwedeng-pwedeng gawing tearjerker ng isang OA na director. With him having full control of the material (he also wrote it based on a book by Michael Lewis), madali niyang i-manipulate ang istory to make it more dramatic. He could have used the husband (ably played by Tim McGraw, a delightful surprise) para kontrahin ang pagkupkop ni Leigh Anne kay Big Mike. O kaya gawin nyang bratty yong panganay na dalagita. All to create conflict, confrontations and drama. But John Lee chose not to.
Kung totoo mang walang conflict na naganap sa pamilya Touhy when they took in a black kid, saludo ako kay John Lee for not tinkering with it. It only shows that he didn’t want to go soapy and soggy. Inst
ead, he created a drama without the usual mix of screaming, emotional breakdowns and what –have-you. There were a few tears here and there, may isa o dalawang very controlled confrontation scenes but that’s about it. And yet, lumabas na very heartfelt yong buong pelikula.
It didn’t beg for you to pity Big Mike. It didn’t come across as preachy. It didn’t shove down your throat the goodness of the Touhy family. Instead, it allowed you to feel for Michael naturally. It gently put your mindset to feel good. And made you think that yes, if I am in the same shoes of the Touhy family, I will do the same thing.
And that, I think, was the strength of the whole film that made it a big hit. It’s a heart-warming movie that made me feel good after its 120 minutes run. It made me believe once again that in this ruthless and greedy world, may mga tao pa ring gumagawa ng kabutihan sa kapwa. And because of that, talagang deserving sya sa nomination nya for Oscar Best Picture. The Blind side giving us the bright side of life.
Nakakabilib nga naman ang pinakitang acting maturity ni Sandra dito. Believable sya as a white rich wife who was strong-willed and, at times fiery, yet possesses an unquestionably loving and caring heart. Sandra showed firm and convincing characterization of Leigh Ann Touhy (based on true story pala ito) from start to finish. Kaya hindi na masama ang loob ko if she beat my eternal fave Meryl.
May konting inconsistency lang akong nakita – something that I have become so aware of dahil sa kapapanood kay Meryl in her countless multi-accent roles before. Yon yong Southern twang nya (Sandra) na medyo nagpa-falter here and there. Minsan very pronounced yong accent nya, minsan wala. But other than that, it was Leigh Ann Touhy that registered in my mind all the way.
I’d give credit to director John Lee Hancock for squeezing the juices out of Sandra dahil nabantayan niya at na-eliminate ang mga pangit na movements/habits ni Sandra na dala-dala nya sa kahit anong pelikulang ginawa nya. Like yong akala mo’y nagi-i-stutter sya everytime she had to deliver a line in an emotionally intense scene. Dito, diretso ang delivery nya ng linya with much conviction and the right emotion.
But aside from making Sandra act, John Lee did a wonderful job in the whole film itself. Ito kasing mga ganitong klase ng story ang pwedeng-pwedeng gawing tearjerker ng isang OA na director. With him having full control of the material (he also wrote it based on a book by Michael Lewis), madali niyang i-manipulate ang istory to make it more dramatic. He could have used the husband (ably played by Tim McGraw, a delightful surprise) para kontrahin ang pagkupkop ni Leigh Anne kay Big Mike. O kaya gawin nyang bratty yong panganay na dalagita. All to create conflict, confrontations and drama. But John Lee chose not to.
Kung totoo mang walang conflict na naganap sa pamilya Touhy when they took in a black kid, saludo ako kay John Lee for not tinkering with it. It only shows that he didn’t want to go soapy and soggy. Inst
ead, he created a drama without the usual mix of screaming, emotional breakdowns and what –have-you. There were a few tears here and there, may isa o dalawang very controlled confrontation scenes but that’s about it. And yet, lumabas na very heartfelt yong buong pelikula.It didn’t beg for you to pity Big Mike. It didn’t come across as preachy. It didn’t shove down your throat the goodness of the Touhy family. Instead, it allowed you to feel for Michael naturally. It gently put your mindset to feel good. And made you think that yes, if I am in the same shoes of the Touhy family, I will do the same thing.
And that, I think, was the strength of the whole film that made it a big hit. It’s a heart-warming movie that made me feel good after its 120 minutes run. It made me believe once again that in this ruthless and greedy world, may mga tao pa ring gumagawa ng kabutihan sa kapwa. And because of that, talagang deserving sya sa nomination nya for Oscar Best Picture. The Blind side giving us the bright side of life.
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