Michael Oher [Quinton Aaron] is an underprivileged youth from the ghettos of Memphis, Tennessee, with a dark unknown past.  He is enrolled in a private school where he is seen but not heard until one cold night Leigh Tuohy [Sandra Bullock] decides to take him in for the night and keep him from being taken by the elements.  Eventually she decides to take Michael in permanently and help him become a better student and eventually one of the best young left tackles on the football field in his high school league.

This movie came out of absolutely nowhere for me.  I saw the trailer (a while back) and couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous accent that Sandra Bullock puts on (which is still laughable) but at the same time it would be foolish of me to say that this movie is a complete waste.  I think this movie works for almost the same reason why Precious works.  It tells a tale of someone in a bad situation (socially and financially) and has found someone who believes in him and helps point him in the correct direction.

The movie works just like the same time every year made-for-TV Christmas Specials work.  It’s heart-warming and you can’t help but feel all warm inside and makes you think about going out and doing something for someone less fortunate than yourself (even though I’m sure 99% of the audience doesn’t do much more than lie down until the feeling passes).  It almost makes you wonder if everyone went out and did something good for just one person what a difference the world could be.

However, once you get past the (somewhat) insane idea that this woman is this kind-hearted to a total stranger I think deep down there is something special about a movie/story that is genuinely so giving.  As a film it feels strange that there really is no point through the story where there is one huge misstep by Michael or Leigh.  You never feel like anyone is being taken advantage of or anyone is being mistreated in anyway and even though this isn’t a bad thing it made you feel slightly off-centre leaving the theatre.  It’s almost like this movie would’ve been exponentially more effective as a documentary rather than this dramatization of this story, because at the very end when the film switched to the footage of the real Michael Oher and all the real people that this story is based off I got an overwhelming feeling of joy in knowing that this is real.

In the end if you need a movie to see that will make you believe in the human race and that it can be good then this is your pick for sure.  However, as a movie it doesn’t entertain or surprise you like anything you’re used to.  The story is a beautiful one but I have fault with its presentation and execution, especially with most of the performances.  A lot of the acting is either way over the top (Sandra Bullock) or completely understated (Quinton Aaron).

IMDB says 7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes says 71%

I say 6.0/10