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The Blind Side (2009)
4th Down & Long
Fondue, Margherita Pizza & The Blind Side... 3 of the cheesiest things to ever grace this world. The Blind Side takes a heartwarming, charming story and turns the cringe up to a solid 10/10.
The story takes us through the life of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) as he meets Sandra Bullock's Leigh Ann and has his life drastically turned around for the better. The narrative is the most alluring aspect of this movie, with the 'real-life' story of Michael and Leigh Ann's relationship providing most of the sentimentality. Michael is a loveable, gentle-giant that you instantly warm up to and Sandra Bullock provides a career best performance as the no-nonsense, (very) southern, cheerleader mom who takes Michael into her family home and under her wing.
Unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. The boring cinematography and the laughable score, reeked of TV Movie standards and at some points the film felt like a Disney Channel Original Film (and not a good one). The script was held back by it's cheesy dialogue and forceful attempts at humour (including an uncomfortable James Corden esque Carpool Kareoke that goes horribly wrong). The script offers no surprises and follows a very formulaic rythm, with most of the film being very easy to predict.
Despite Sandra Bullock performing at her best, the cast still left a lot to be desired. RJ (Jae Head) was just wholly annoying ; the writer clearly not being able to write for kids, and Lily Collins' coincidentally named 'Collins' was a blank canvas of a character. The only stand out performance was a brief cameo from Kathy Bates -who is always brilliant- whereas the rest of the supporting cast seemed to be exaggerated caricatures (Including some scenes of Bullock's Leigh Ann).
A corny score, cheesy dialogue, ridiculous characters, vapid acting and a predictable narrative leaves the Blind Side fumbling on a 4th down and long.
4/10.
Roma (2018)
Loneliness, Belonging & Family
Alfonzo Cuarón delivers a meloncholy yet beautiful journey through 1970s La Roma, Mexico in this picturesque and eerily realistic story of loneliness and belonging.
Yalitza Aparicio stars as Cleo, the quiet, caring house keeper for a wealthy family headed by the matriarch Sofia (Marina De Tavira). We follow the family- and Cleo- through the excitement and dangers of living in such a bustling and lively city, as well as the emotional attachments we as humans develop for one another. It questions what we conceive as 'family' and how we cope with sadness and stress.
Cuarón orchestrates a huge cast of extras and breathes life into Roma, so much so you forget you are watching a film and instead get drawn into a perfect amalgamation of choreography and the documenting of a family routine.
The cinematography and sound editing are breathtaking. The black and white, sweeping camera shots and central framing of scenes bring a calmness to the madness, which in turn exentuates the subtle performances of all the main cast and make you feel like you are part of this living, breathing world.
Newcomer Yalitza brings her character to life with a subtlety and realism that makes you connect with her story from the word go. Whilst avoiding spoilers- her quest for love and being a part of 'something more' goes through many peaks and troughs. Characters she considered close are unable to remember her name or age and are left abondoning her during her most vulnerable moments. The performance from Yalitza (and the four child actors) take you on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving you with questions like: "can Cleo realise who her real family are?" and "who in her life genuinely cares for her?" . It's down to Cleo to find that "perfect balance" in her life that she doesn't know she is capable of possessing.
The only issue for me was the pacing of the movie. In some areas the movie dragged and became a bit mundane and monotonous (I now realise that this probably symbolises the life our characters are leading- but it still felt a little too slow in areas). The phrase style over substance came to mind many times, but with the crescendo of emotional tension during the film's climax, it builds to an incredie final act that may leave you wanting more.
With beautiful metaphor (a car not being the "right fit" for the garage and the frequent planes signalling a "daydream" like life that always seems too far to reach) the film tugs on the heart strings, makes you fall in love with the main characters and takes you back to a hectic childhood in Mexico that you never had. Cuarón delivers and I highly recommend you watch this film on Netflix right now!
8.5/10