Far from blind-sighted

I’ve yet to see Crazy Heart, but I’d say Sandra Bullock is the most deserving award winner of the year. And, no, I don’t mean for her shock Razzie (though, well done on that one, Sandy) I mean for her Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side. It’s a close call as to who really owns this movie though, between the two main actors, Bullock and Quinton Aaron, who plays main character, Michael ‘Big Mike’ Oher. Other than having a small part in Be Kind Rewind, 25-year-old Aaron hasn’t starred in anything of note before The Blind Side, which should be to him as Titanic was to Kate and Leo, as An Education has been to Carey Mulligan. A quiet and reserved boy for the most part, Aaron manages to capture the innocence and sadness of his character with barely a word coming from his lips. The upcoming actor then manages to convey a subtle character change as Big Mike becomes  talented, intelligent and loving young adult.

Bullock, on the other hand, perfectly switches between two personalities for the duration of the movie. Seemingly a hard business woman with a sharp wit to boot, the audience is quickly invited to see her character Leigh Anne’s more touching, maternal nature. This flawless  balance is what earned Bullock the Best Actress gong.

The execution of the film itself could be better. Though the plot, being based on a touching and emotional true story,  keeps the audience entranced throughout, and the constant humour makes the trauma more bearable, there are flaws from the start. The opening scene is a little off putting, with Sandra Bullock providing a somewhat confusing voice over to an American Football game. Though it may be stereotypical of me, given the genre of the film, I find it hard to believe that, there will be many fans of the sport in the audience. That being the case, you may find yourself wondering what you’ve let yourself in for as you glaze over the initial scene. In sticking with it, though, the roller coaster of emotion proves for an exciting watch, including an unexpected twist before the end. Flashbacks (and flash forwards) throughout also keep you at the edge of your seat and, some being a little misleading, make the ending even more poignant. 

[Insert obvious Kicks Ass related title here]

I’ve officially decided Kick-Ass is my new favourite film.

I saw the film nearly two weeks ago and it’s taken me so long to write up a review as I wanted to do it justice (and forgot the brilliant line I came up with whilst in the theatre.). Yet I probably still won’t.

Film lovers across the globe have been long-awaiting Kick-Ass due to its major hype, numerous magazine covers and controversial originality which could have caused the polar effect and left audiences feeling let down. On the contrary, Kick-Ass perfectly lives up to its hype, bringing us a film with so much good about it.

To start with, the originality comes from Kick-Ass being a rated 15, yet from the point of view of a teenage school boy with girl problems. With the on-paper potential to be a rubbish teen flick, Kick-Ass is actually ideally written for the older audience, entertaining with adult humour at the same time as taking you back to the same imaginative youth as the main character, Dave’s.

What’s more, despite the majority of the hype surrounding 13 year-old actress Chloe Moretz’s script, it still isn’t completely predicatable, managing to maintain the humour that the film revolves around, despite expectations.

Most important, though, is the superb cast. Not one actor lets the film down throughout, nor does anyone outshine the others. Brit actor Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy) is flawless as an American teen, and, despite being sometimes shy and timid in reality, is brilliantly unabashed in his role as Dave Lizewski. Funny man Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Role Models) also wows as the ignored son of the enemy, AKA Red Mist. Moretz takes to her role easily as well, and provides the ideal partner to Nic Cage’s Adam West inspired Big Daddy. Even the actors in smaller roles make the most of their time on screen making every moment count for something.

All in all, if you haven’t seen Kick-Ass by now, it probably means you’re not overly enticed by it. If that is the case, then there’s no argument you can make against it that can’t be remedied by seeing it. The likelihood is it will soon become most people’s new favourite film too.