SMT Weekly Flick by Paul Krismanits
Two True Stories, Two Excellent Films
The Blind Side (Rated PG-13) 120 mins.
The Aviator (Rated PG-13) 169 mins.
Between times of Hollywood trying to outdo itself with being overly clever (and rarely succeeding), blowing up things in new ways, or simply depressing their viewers with movies that leave no room for hope or inspiration, occasionally they produce a film that actually has class, displays the good we are capable of doing, and provides inspiration. The Blind Side does all this and more.
Referring to the position of left tackle on a football team, the position most responsible for protecting the quarterback’s back, The Blind Side tells the story of Michael Oher, an NFL rookie sensation whose life story can be summed up in one word: miraculous. Born and bred in the projects of Memphis, Tennessee, young Michael spent most of his teenage years just trying to find a place to sleep. Born to a mother addicted to drugs and having never known his father, Michael was exposed to the kinds of things growing up that most of us could never understand. Amazingly though, Michael maintained a gentle, quiet disposition that is a far cry from the usually angry, violent kind of temperament found in most of those with the same upbringing. Because of this he becomes known as the gentle giant around school, although few take the time to get to know him. That is, until a night when Michael, now homeless, becomes noticed by Leigh Anne Tuohy, the mother of two children at the prestigious Christian private school which Michael was given a scholarship too. Immediately upon discovering that Michael has no place to sleep, Mrs. Tuohy invites him to stay at her house for the night as it is the good Christian thing to do. Of course, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and Michael‘s one night visit turns into something much bigger.
While there are a million other details involved, the short story is that Michael becomes like family to the Tuohy’s, and their involvement in his life is a testament to the greatest parts in us all, Leigh Anne especially fights for Michael’s development and success, and as a result she almost single-handedly gives Michael a new chance at life. How it all enfolds is something that no one should miss. The story of Michael and the Tuohy’s is as inspirational a true story as Hollywood has given us in years.
The Blind Side has a million good things going for it, and after the unbelievable story the biggest would be the performance of Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy. One can only imagine the true-life bond Leigh Anne formed with Michael after accepting him as her own, but Bullock does as well as possible in recreating it. This may very well be the defining role of her career. The whole movie takes its beat from her, and, aside from Tim McGraw’s bad acting skills and some overly silly humorous moments, it is darn near perfect. My wife cried through the whole thing, and I came close. That alone should pique your curiosity, but know that I also walked out feeling as if I had just experienced something wonderful. You will too.
Now to shift gears. This week I am on #8 of my Top Ten of the Decade, and with it the great director Martin Scorsese makes his only appearance. But if you were thinking it’s his 2006 Best Picture The Departed that made it here, you’d be wrong. Instead go back a few years to 2004, when Clint Eastwood’s worst film Million Dollar Baby won Best Picture, and Scorsese’s The Aviator was leaps and bounds better. Yet one of the many reasons we can no longer trust the Academy Awards.
In The Aviator Scorsese tells the tragic story of the world’s once richest man in the world, Howard Hughes. As brilliant a biopic as has ever been filmed, The Aviator begins with a chilling scene in which young Howard is being bathed by his mother, who is having him slowly repeat the spelling of q-u-a-r-a-n-t-i-n-e back to her. From here we zip nearly 20 years into his future, where Howard is using the fortune left to him by his parents to finance the biggest motion picture ever created at the time, 1930’s Hell’s Angels. This was only the first of his many amazing exploits shown in the film. Scorsese is sure to show us how Hughes was fearlessly ambitious and a controlling perfectionist, traits that would lead him to make more money than anyone had ever before done, and traits that would ultimately fracture his brilliant mind.
The movie is fascinating because the man was fascinating, but The Aviator is one of the decade’s best because of its flawless direction and fantastic performances. Leonardo Dicaprio used his role as Hughes to solidify himself as one of the finest actors in the world, and he cemented his niche as a leading man. He is joined most noticeably by Cate Blanchett as the eccentric Katherine Hepburn, and her performance is so spot-on that older viewers will think they are seeing the original screen star reborn. Filling out the excellent cast are John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Ian Holm, Jude Law, Alan Alda, and Kate Beckinsdale as the gorgeous Ava Gardner. Altogether The Aviator is a superb time-capsule that takes us into the mind of Howard Hughes in an intimate way, showing us a man who really lived larger-than-life and the toll it took on him. For all this and more it is a classic that is not to be missed.
The Blind Side: 4.5/5 stars
The Aviator: 5/5 stars
