Films Starring Sandra Bullock that I've seen:
Demolition Man
Speed
Crash
The Proposal
The Blind Side
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Heat
Gravity
Best Performance: Gravity (2013)
I believe that Bullock's healthy amount of work in the romantic comedy genre has resulted in her being severely overlooked as a dramatic actor. Just about every "serious" film I've seen her in has been elevated by her massive yet nuanced performances. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, which features Bullock alone on screen for about 80% of the running time, is the perfect showcase for her underrated chops. Bullock's powerhouse performance enhances the tension while also displaying an emotional range that you don't typically see in effects-driven disaster/survival movies.
I believe that Bullock's healthy amount of work in the romantic comedy genre has resulted in her being severely overlooked as a dramatic actor. Just about every "serious" film I've seen her in has been elevated by her massive yet nuanced performances. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, which features Bullock alone on screen for about 80% of the running time, is the perfect showcase for her underrated chops. Bullock's powerhouse performance enhances the tension while also displaying an emotional range that you don't typically see in effects-driven disaster/survival movies.
Worst Performance: Crash (2004)
As great as she's been of late, Bullock's road to becoming a strong dramatic actor wasn't without its major hiccups. The commanding screen presence that eventually became a hallmark of her craft was notably absent from the much-maligned Best Picture winner Crash. Her turn as the uppity, prejudiced wife of a Los Angeles-area district attorney (Brendan Fraser) is consistently wooden and thoroughly unconvincing.
As great as she's been of late, Bullock's road to becoming a strong dramatic actor wasn't without its major hiccups. The commanding screen presence that eventually became a hallmark of her craft was notably absent from the much-maligned Best Picture winner Crash. Her turn as the uppity, prejudiced wife of a Los Angeles-area district attorney (Brendan Fraser) is consistently wooden and thoroughly unconvincing.
Best Film: The Heat (2013)
While it's not quite on the level of Bridesmaids, The Heat is still easily one of Paul Feig's best projects to-date. A sharp, vulgar script from Katie Dippold paired with the fantastic juxtaposition between its two leads (Bullock as a stern FBI agent, Melissa McCarthy as a short-tempered Boston police officer) made this buddy comedy a seriously funny treat.
While it's not quite on the level of Bridesmaids, The Heat is still easily one of Paul Feig's best projects to-date. A sharp, vulgar script from Katie Dippold paired with the fantastic juxtaposition between its two leads (Bullock as a stern FBI agent, Melissa McCarthy as a short-tempered Boston police officer) made this buddy comedy a seriously funny treat.
Worst Film: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Good intentions don't always result in good art and few films illustrate that point better than Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. This drama based on a best selling novel about a 10-year old kid (Thomas Horn) trying to cope with the death of his father (Tom Hanks), who was killed during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, is a dull melodrama with an obnoxious protagonist that never even comes close to hitting its intended emotional target.
Good intentions don't always result in good art and few films illustrate that point better than Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. This drama based on a best selling novel about a 10-year old kid (Thomas Horn) trying to cope with the death of his father (Tom Hanks), who was killed during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, is a dull melodrama with an obnoxious protagonist that never even comes close to hitting its intended emotional target.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst
of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Superfly” star Jason Mitchell.
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