Taking A Step Back: A New take on "The Blind Side"

Every now and then I will have a posting entitled "Taking A Step Back"  Posts like these will talk about a movie, book, TV Show or even a sermon but also will talk about how it has been perceived by others.  Not to say that I perceive both the piece and its reviews better than others (even when it's true, lol) but if I feel I can bring a truly unique take on it, I will put it out there.
 
There are certain movies I always try and watch alone: crappy straight to DVD action films that star Dolph Lungren, Indie Christian films that actually got released somehow and the 1) occasional sentimental, 2) based on real life, 3) dramatic yet funny type film.  Such a film as "The Blind Side" fits pretty well into that rambling third set of movies.  As a dramatic interpretation of actual events, compressed and reinvented in the ways that movies must do, it has caused quite a rift between moviegoers, critics and even people who haven't seen it.

I won't get into details of the film itself since that's been done.  Instead I will focus on what I have observed about the reaction to the film.  Few things irk me more than people praising or (more than likely) ridiculing a film before they have seen it.  It would be nice if such people would keep their opinions to themselves before they adversely affect those who have not seen it but that is simply not the nature of the movie going public.

I started hearing negative things about the film before it came out.  No, this is not a for sure sign that the film will in fact prove good, quite the opposite.  But there was such backlash I was simply curious as to whether or not I could see the film and have an independent reaction to it.

So after the awards season had started up, complete with coverage directed at the film itself and at star Sandra Bullock, I sat down on a weekday evening in my room where I could watch undisturbed. I will admit my favorite thing about the film had little to do with the film itself.  The portrayal of selflessness, compassion and love shown got to me and some personal things I happened to be dealing with at the time.  This led to me to pause the film a one point and have one of my patented "one on one" conversations with the Lord which ranged from tears to yelling to quiet moments of reflection.  I then turned the film back on and continued.

There's nothing really special about this film but it’s a solid film and better than I expected.  The script was decent, in need of a smooth script doctor but solid and believable for the most part.  The overly sentimental moments were played for what they were meant to be: straight forward moments of humility and honesty that for some reason seem to always come across as hokey.  The directing was fine but nothing to write home about.  Sandra Bullock's performance was quite "large" (even compared to her real life counter-part) but what impressed me was how easy she portrayed it, unapologetic and (in the case of the super-sentimental moments) fearless.  Bullock is a very honest actress and even in her interviews she spoke lovingly of the part she never over-sold it or the film.  The ultimate example was her opening line of her Oscar acceptance speech, to the effect of "Did I really deserve this or did I just wear you people down?"  I'm guessing she did the part the best that she could, realized its limitations and most importantly, how it played only a part of the reason she was holding Oscar that night.  I admire her honesty, and besides Meryl Streep gets nominated for getting up in the morning.  I loved her in Julie & Julia, don't get me wrong.  But in the big picture Streep will earn multiple Oscars and it may be a rare event for Bullock to be nominated, let alone win.  So, why not award Bullock for some of her best work, playing against type to boost.  I can't say it was the best actress performance that year but it was one of my favorites and it deserved to be congratulated even if Oscar was a stretch.  If she did "steal" it, Oscar will quickly recover.

I'm going to pause here because this just might prove to be my main point (we'll wait and see).  Because this movie may have had an impact on me because of who I am and, more importantly, where I was in my life says a lot about its reception I think.  Not that I was blinded (pardon the usage) but it did give me a different way to look at it.  Movies like this don't hit everybody on the first viewing and as such rarely warrants a hasty second viewing.  Perhaps after time passes and events in someone's life sets them in a different mood their opinion may change.  When you stack "The Blind Side" up next to films of that year like "Inglorious Basterds" "Up In The Air" and "The Hurt Locker" it looks silly.  Yes, even I would agree its Best Picture nomination was a mistake.  I was interested to hear some fans of "Up" dislike "The Blind Side."  I wonder if "Up" had been filmed live action and "The Blind Side" in animation, would their views hold steady?  I doubt it.  Parts of "Up" that were so tender were aided and elevated by animation.  To see them live action would probably have elicited more than a few groans (unless Meryl Streep played at least one role). 

Wow, I wrote a lot here.  To close, I can not stand and say "The Blind Side" is a great movie.  It's not.  It's a good movie- solid, enjoyable but not great.  Parts of it were very emotionally powerful but they had eevry right to be that way and drove the movie even more than Bullock.  Watch it now and watch it again when you think you just might get something out of it that is bigger than the film itself.  Labor of love films deserve that much at least.  As forme, I admire the film for what it made me experience and that wasn't just the film by itself.  If you still can't find anything to like about it, it doesn't mean you have no heart, but I would check to be sure :)

Closing thought:
If one's opinion about any (movie, book, sermon) good or bad, does not evolve and grow over time, that is the true tragedy. 

Happy watching!
-Ben

Machete!

I hesitated to write this not because of what this movie is but what it means to represent, what is it an homage too?  Having not seen the "fake trailer" before the movie Grindhouse (because as you guessed I have not seen Grindhouse) nor having a treasure-trove of B movie knowledge to fall back on (minus the Ayslum of course), left me once again with only the film itself as my main source of knowledge.  I had a general idea of what the film was paying tribute to whoch I think helped a lot.  B movies are B movies because they just aren't as good as main stream A movies.  They are often over the top in their use of gore, violence, sex and campy dialouge.
Machete walks the fine line between A and B remarkably well, one of the reasons (I feel) it got as critically well received as it did.  It has A list talent in Robert DeNiro and Jessica Alba, old fan favorites in Steven Seagal and Don Johnson, working actors getting a well deserved shot in Danny Trejo and Jeff Fahey AND Cheech Marin (cuz why the heck not).  Oh and Lindsay Lohan but I'm not gonna go there, its too easy to be mean.
While the film has the look of an A movie (with a few throwback excpetions) it retains the B movie feel, pacing and plot which was likely to upset some people.  Though filmed on the relatively small budget of $10 million it lacks nothing in terms of sets, effects and makeup.  The script seems to be to be the most representative homage of all- silly at times, unbeliveable at others but still somehow highly enjoyable.  It seemed to me to be a hard script to conceptualize and then I read how Chris Cooper turned it down because  "it's the most absurd thing I've ever read"  Just goes to show you how the words on a page don't always hold all the keys.
I don't want to go on here so I will throw out a few bullet points of things I liked about Machete:
- Nice to see Steven Seagal in his first purely villian role.  Its small size suits Seagal's shortcomings while showcasing a different side to the actor
-Danny Trejo finally getting a starring role.  Hopefully this will lead to more, but Trejo made his character deeper than any B movie ever could give its protagonist
-Michelle Rodriquez, who I like in small doses, starts well but by the time her character (and her) are worn out the movie is minutes from finishing
-Robert DeNiro gets to make a small, oddball movie and shows he can laugh at himself. Also its probably the last time he gets a role Chris Cooper was offered first
-The nudity in the film, while unnecessary, wasn't offensive since it came off as silly and laughable
-Don Johnson and Cheech reunite!

So to wrap up, Machete is a highly enjoyable, purposefully bad movie.  Bad it its plot and (most characters) but enjoyable in its acting and homages to B movies of the past.  I'd give it a watch!

Oscar do-overs: Giant, aka My Giant not your Giant which is not the Billy Crystal movie

In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly there was an article entitled something like "Top 10 Over-rated Best Picture Winners"  Besides the ongoing conversation on how many times Martin Scorcesse got robbed (losing to Ordinary People in 1980 and Goodfellas losing to Dances With Wolves in 1990) it brought up how some best picture winners stand up over time and who might have been more deserving.



I agree that in 1959 Giant got robbed losing to a big budget adaptation of Around The World in 80 Days and i am saying that even though I haven't seen the latter.  Is that fair? No its not.  I base it solely on the fact that Giant is one of my favorite all time films and everything I've read on the later is that it was less than stellar.  Side note on part of my love for Giant: When I first saw the film through Netflix many years ago and I was working my way through the first AFI list of Top 100 movies.  I sat on the floor of my small Studio City Apartment not completely believing how much I was enjoying Giant.  In those days I never glanced at the Info sleeve to find out running time or even subject matter and usually ended up enjoying it more.  Anyways, after a very dramtic scene in the film the screen all of a sudden went black and I actually yelled "NO!!!!!"  Then I sat in stunned darkness for a bit and then I realized no closing credits had come up.  Even more curious I opened the DVD player to fight with great joy that it was a two sided DVD.  Though ending the film at movie at the break would have been very bold and exciting, I am sure glad it didn't.  And if you are wondering, the answer is No I did not fuller learn from the oversight.  I don't even recall how much of Dr Zhivago I watched on Side B before realizing my mistake and flipping the disc over.  Let's just say it made for a very long evening.

AHA!

My niece Ann Hinckley ANderson was diagnosed last year with aplastic anemia, a blood disorder.  It has been a tough year but the latest test results are a reason to praise the Lord!  My sister posted the following online:

"The biopsy showed no cancer or PNH!  We also found out the her percentage of healthy bone marrow cells has increased drastically since last year.  Hooray!  In February last year her body had only 20% healthy, functioning bone marrow cells.  This February, the doctors estimate that to be up to between 60-70% healthy cells!!  This confirms what we had suspected: that the drug is working and her marrow is building back... Ann Hinckley is doing wonderfully.  There are still many uncertainties about our future, but we have become more comfortable with that truth and God has definitely provided John and me with more peace in our hearts.  We are so thrilled that she is feeling so well, and able to participate in so many things.  We have seen so many of you lately and I continue to be honored and amazed by your prayers and your children's prayers for our daughter.  You are a huge part of why we are where we are.  Thank you for your consistent support throughout this last year.  Words fail us to express our gratefulness to you and our Lord."
Thank you all for your continued prayers!
Ben

Top Ten List explained (sort of)

First off, special thanks to Jason Eaken for giving me the idea to include movie posters in my top ten list AND for allowing ties.  I have a feeling once I see Toy STory 3, 127 Hours, Rabbitt Hole, etc I will have more ties. 

If my list seems a little too "normal" that's because, well, it is normal.  Most of the films I was able to see were thanks to the SAG awards.  Between free screenings and free home screeners I was able to see a great deal but I know there are many small independent films out there that should be on the list. 

This is by no means a complete breakdown but here are some thoughts on each film, NO SPOILERS!

Get Low- Got to a screening f this complete with a Q&A with Robert Duvall himself.  I really wonder where this film was in all the awards hoopla.  Great writing, acting, sets, makeup, etc.  But it was a small movie that couldn't afford the Weinstein public relations machine that I'm sure didn't help King's Speech at all (cough, cough).  Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek and a great supporting cast of mostly unknown actors turn in a highly enjoyable film from beginning to end.  I could go on about Duvall but don't want any spoilers

Solitary Man- I'll be honest, I'm not a huge Michael Douglas fan.  Nothing against, he's always decent but I never fell for one of his perfomances.  With the (slight) ferver over Wallstreet2 this one got left behind which is a huge shame.  As you watch him spiral from wealthy married guy to single desperate guy you get rooting for him to wake up and change his ways.  He even gets you to feel sorry for him despite his obvious self-destruction.  And Danny DeVito is always a plus for me.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader- One of my biggest all-time movie pet-peeves is how in thisHarryPotterTwilight mania we live in that the Narnia series is barely a blip on the radar.  I love Harry Potter and what it's down for both books and films (especially for young actors) and for that matter I loved Lord of the Rings.  SO it just baffles me how the fans of those films don't line up for Narnia.  It's got good young talent, great effects, solid story, I just don't see why it got shunned by both the box office and the awards crowd.  But I have the feeling even if it was widely seen there just may not be enough room for it right now.  I wush they'ad waited a few years to start ther series

The Town- I have a like/hate thing with Ben Affleck.  He's a decent actor, a better director, he just needs to pick better projects.  Well he has one here.  What could have been a run of the mill robber flick turns into a great character study where even the obligatory love story works just fune.  ANother great supporting cast down to the smallest part and specific direction makes it a surprising but fitting part of many such lists.

Inception- I think it another year, past or future, Inception could have been a real Best Picture threat,  It was a huge blockbuster that still managed to be revolutionary and engrossing.  Confusing yes, but you really don't care, you make an attempt at least to accept each reality as it comes up.  Also, I love me some Tom Berenger

Winter's Bone-  I almost didn't see this movie but I am so glad I did.  Probably the biggest surprise of my year.  I went to the SAG screening because John Hawkes was giving a Q&A afterwards and he is a fav of mine.  This small film about a young girl is rural Missouri left to take care of her entire family while trying not to get killed (thanks to her deadbeat dad) had me from the beginning.  Great perfomances.  Also the film was in a often misused word- real.  The "sets", the people, it all screamed reality.  I learned from John that the little girl in the film actually lived in the house they filmed in, hence she got the part.  Jennifer Lawrence, who I was not familiar with was incredible and John Hawkes would later get a well deserved Oscar nod.

Black Swan- Yes the Natalie Portman ballet movie where she "hooks up" with Mila Kunis.  But it is also a hard hitting, engrossing film that doesn't really let you go until the end.  Whether you "figure out" the end doesn't seem to matter, in fact its almost better if you do.  I found myself thinking of ways she could turn things around right up until the end, it kept be guessing.  Great directing and Portman's incredble acting mad ethis one worth it, even if there are a few parts you may not care for.

Blue Valentine- Let me say this first off, this is my pick for best acting of the entire year.  Ryan Gosling was robbed of a Oscar nod (I blame Jeff Bridges but only a little).  I have not been a huge fan of Michelle Williams but she was flawless in this movie and was my "should win but won't" pick for Best Actress.  It is not an easy movie to watch, it runs the gamit from slightly uncomfortable to so uncomfortable I had to turn away for a few moments.  It's like you were in each scene with them and again, even if you figure out the ending you still root for them to change it.

The Fighter- A friend saw a early test screening and told me "I didn't expect to like it and I didn't, I loved it."  I feel the same way. It would have been so easy to make this another mediocre sports film that you appreciate because its a true story and everyone loves an underdog, but it ended up being so much more.  Yes Mark Wahlberg is over shadowed by pretty much every other actor in the film but he still manages to turn in a solid performance.  Christian Bale won a very well deserved Oscar.  Amy Adams shows us she's not just a frail Disney princess.  Melissa Leo took what could have been only a caricature and tutrned it into a real character and won an Oscar in the process.  Yes I think she stole it from Adams (who was the only actor other than Bale who succeced in playing against type)

King's Speech- I go back and forth on this movie.  I loved it, in fact I'd use the word "flawless" but I see no difference between it and a well made HBO or TNT made for TV film.  It's the type of film that gets made just about every year, in that you love it, can't find any cracks in its facade but still not blown away by it.  It makes #2 on my list, even though I wanted to bump it back at first, because it was in a word, flawless.  It had a great cast and a story that was so touching that it made me wish I had lived through it.  I would not have given it the Best Picture Oscar but Oscar loves British dramas over American dramas and in the end nothing could stop its momentum.  I will say though that it doesn't hurt when you have the proven Weinstein team pushing for you, they know how to win Best Picture Oscars.  I am reminded of Shakespeare In Love beating out Saving Private Ryan but at least Speilberg got a Oscar for his direction.  Tom Hooper is talented but with a director-proof script and a talented cast, anyone could have directed this film.

The Social Network- I figured I would like this movie but I mainly went because some friends were extras in it and with my main man Aaron Sorkin writing the script I knew it would be decent.  It was more than that, it was incredible.  I was one who laughed upon hearing about "the Facebook movie" but the careful scene selection between past and present got me hooked.  Exceptional acting from a mostly young cast handled Sorkin's writing with energy and excitement.  I never had anything against the cast members I was aware of but now I can't wait to see where they go from here.  Special mention goes to Rooney Mara who did more in two scenes than most lead actors achieved this year.  Can't wait to see her in "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"  I walked away from the Oscars pleased with Aaron Sorkin's screenplay award and oddly content with the film's loss to King's Speech.  Social Network will live on without question while I think King's Speech needed Best Picture to make sure it didn't get lost in the countless British dramas that preceeded it.  Also contemporary films had a much harder time at the Oscars.  The past decade had more winners than usual what with American Beauty, Crash and The Hurt Locker, but its still hard for contemporary films to compete with period dramas and if they happen to be British, forget about it.

I still have yet to decide if this year had more films I liked than last year and I think its because I saw so many more this year.  And I feel that though most of the acting awards were the usual forgone conclusions, there were still no shortage of well deserved nominees that easily could have won in another year.  Can't wait to see more movies and see how my list gets shaken up.

Top Ten Films of 2010 Version 1.0

First off let me say that there are many, many, MANY films I have not seen yet that could always affect this list. However I am confident in the present list.

10. Get Low/Solitary Man (tie)





9. Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader


8. The Town


7. Inception


6. Winter's Bone


5. Black Swan


4. Blue Valentine


3. The Fighter


2. The King's Speech


1. The Social Network