Bird Box

Bullock grasps Gravity of sightless situation as she struggles to accept children in The Even Blinder Side. Exceptionally eclectic cast gather in not so Quiet Place, instead filling it with clunky backstories while working out what’s Happening. Though the premise is outside the box, the payoff is for the birds.

Gravity

Visually spectacular rollercoaster captures audience while cutting them loose in space.  Adherence to physics drifts away with less famous actors and Apollo Ed’s voice leaving only Bullocks’ (and the FX team’s) brilliant performance.  Condescending dream shrapnel drags audience commitment down, but otherwise delivers a thrilling albeit not quite airtight story.

Crash (2004)

Candy coated look at the intersecting lives of several hundred people in Los Angeles. Melodramatic and carefully constructed to remind to the viewer that racism is terrible. Lives intersect repeatedly, and so on occasion to brilliant editing, performance, and music to form several powerful tear-jerk moments. Better title: Hate Actually.

The Blind Side

Embraces every drama film cliché to craft a trite but entertaining story with mediocre cinematography. Essentially a character piece about how ballsy Bullock’s character was, and her performance succeeds in doing the dialogue justice. Plot meanders a bit before finally delivering an unsatisfying ‘predicament’ as evidenced in the opening flash-forward.

The Proposal

One of the most predictable films ever made but still fairly enjoyable. Reynolds and Bullock play excellently off each other as they leap through all the typical chick flick clichés. Nice to see Coach and Rose in something worthwhile again. Could have done without both of the strange dancing scenes.