Since winning her Oscar, Sandra Bullock has gained new respect and recognition. However, in my mind, she has long been deserving of special praise for her acting and unusual roles.
I remember seeing her first in The Net. Although quite dated by today's hacking standards, and somewhat pioneering in the tech film world, the film stars Sandra as the victim of identity theft. She was super as the desperate seeker of the source of her woes. I will always remember the name Angela Bennett!
Then came Speed. Wow, what a romp! She and Keanu Reeves had perfect chemistry in the bus that could not fall below 50mph! Her humor, pathos, panic, vulnerability, and courage as Annie the bus driver were beyond belief. She was brave and sexy in her role as the common person thrown into an uncommon situation. If it had been up to me, I'd have considered her for an Oscar way back then.
On to her comedic brilliance in Miss Congeniality. She is heartwarming as the tough, feminist FBI agent thrown into the superficial world of the beauty contest. Sandra makes us laugh constantly throughout the film. My favorite scene: Her trying to balance on high heels and tripping. Yes, a bit Chaplinesque, but how well she plays it. She works wonderfully with the gay Michael Caine and very straight Benjamin Bratt, constantly playing off their characters to create a witty, and very funny, character.
What about her fine acting in The Proposal? Again, as the comedian, she approaches the brilliance of Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett. As the executive in charge with a green card problem, she is a riot moving into the role of the "fiancee" in need of a mate. Sandra makes us smile throughout the light-hearted film.
In What About Steve, she continues to display her comic genius. As the goofy, boyfriend-obsessed, idiot-savant who chases a cameraman across the country, Sandra displays some of her most offbeat work. Her relentless pursuit of her love interest reminds us of the two goofballs in Dumb and Dumber who make their way to Denver. But Sandra perhaps does it better! Even when the films turns a bit dour, with Sandra stuck in a pit with a wayward child, the actress moves easily from comedy to drama. Super stuff!
When she finally moves on to The Blind Side, she shows us how versatile she is. Whether playing mom to the big new family member or standing up to street punks, Sandra is perfect. She gets us to chuckle and root for her....as she does in all her films. We've already commented on The Blind Side elsewhere in the Blog.
As I summarize, I realize that I've mentioned only a handful of Sandra's work. I will ask others to fill in movies of hers they might have seen, such as Hope Floats, While You Were Sleeping, The Lake House, Crash, Two Weeks' Notice, and so many more! I commend the actress for her versatility and consistency. When films are released starring Ms. Bullock, I run to see them!
No comments:
Post a Comment