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28 Days Review by
Joe Barlow
I
think that critics often base their movie reviews around a single scathing tag
line, often composed before they even see the film in question. Betty Thomas's
new drama, 28 Days, seems to be falling victim to this irresponsible
trend: virtually every review I've seen dismisses the film with a minor
variation of the statement, "28 Days feels like it lasts about as
long as its title." While a lead-in sentence like this admittedly makes for
great copy, it does not represent responsible journalism. 28 Days is
admittedly no masterpiece, but director Thomas has succeeded in crafting
together an entertaining film that will charm all but the most stoic viewers. Sandra
Bullock plays Gwen Cummings, the wild-child daughter of an alcoholic mother,
whose enslavement to booze and pills ends in near- tragedy. Offered a choice
between going to jail or spending twenty-eight days in rehab, Gwen opts to walk
the path of cleanliness. Even in the strict confines of the treatment center,
however, staying sober and drug-free proves to be a challenge... particularly
when Gwen's boyfriend, Jasper (Dominic West), never misses an opportunity to
smuggle in contraband. But Gwen soon befriends her new roommate, Andrea (Azura
Skye), and the two of them, along with the other motley group of
"guests," are soon working together towards their common goal:
sobriety. The
majority of the cast is pretty good, but Sandra Bullock achieves more than mere
competence -- Thomas coaxes what may well be the strongest performance of
Bullock's career from the actress. This comes as no surprise to me: Thomas was
an excellent choice to helm this particular project, having charmed audiences
with her dead-on satire of the '70s, The Brady Bunch Movie. Clearly she
has a handle on eccentric, offbeat characters -- a strength that serves her well
here. A
number of great cameos highlight the film, including Steve Buscemi as Gwen's
compassionate counselor. Best of all, however, is Loudon Wainwright III, the
acclaimed folk singer, who steals the show with his recurring appearances as a
recovering alcoholic known only as Guitar Guy. Whenever things get too serious,
Guitar Guy pops up and performs a tune -- and they're usually hilarious --
effectively diffusing the discomfort of any particular scene. Wainwright is by
far my favorite living songwriter, and seeing him on the big screen was a
particular treat (you may remember him as Captain Calvin Spalding, the singing
surgeon from M*A*S*H). Bullock, West and the great songs from Wainwright
help elevate a rather formulaic screenplay into something a bit more finely
crafted, and both cast and director are to be commended for this achievement. That's
not to imply that they've achieved perfection, of course: there are plenty of
morality notes which are hit a little too frequently -- I never want to see
another group of people holding hands and singing Lean on Me, for
instance -- but overall the film manages to charm while simultaneously
confronting the twin demons of alcoholism and drug addition. It's a rare story
that can make you smile one moment and weep the next, and 28 Days, while
flawed, is worthy of a peek simply for its calm, confident ability to make the
audience traverse the entire emotional spectrum in a mere two hours. Contents | Features | Reviews
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