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"'Days'
in the Life"
by Scott Mantz
"28 Days"
Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen
Directed by Betty Thomas
Every once in
a while, Hollywood follows a 3-step program. Step one: Addiction
is a terrible disease. Step two: The path to recovery requires strength,
perseverance, and will power. Step three: A movie about this subject
is a great showcase for any actor with something to prove. It worked
for Michael Keaton, who gave one of his best screen performances
in "Clean and Sober". It also worked for Meg Ryan, who gave an excellent
performance in the underrated and engaging "When a Man Loves a Woman".
Now Sandra Bullock takes a drink, er, a stab at the process in "28
Days". While the film follows the same predictable twelve-step program
as the subject matter on which it's based, it still makes for an
enjoyable moviegoing experience. It also gives Bullock one of her
best film roles since "While You Were Sleeping".
Gwen Cummings
(Sandra Bullock) is a successful New York City-based writer who
loves to drink, take drugs, and have a good time. The problem is,
she doesn't know when to stop. When her extraneous behavior ruins
her sister's wedding and results in her driving into a house, she
can do one of two things. She can go to jail, or she spend 28 days
in a rehabilitation center. She chooses the latter. Upon her arrival
at Serenity Glen, located far from the hustle and the bustle of
the big city, she still refuses to admit she has a problem. Constant
visits by her wild boyfriend (Dominic West) don't help matters,
but then she has a revelation. When an attempt to recover some pills
she threw out a window results in an injury, she realizes that she's
on a downward spiral. Gwen struggles to beat her addiction, face
her demons, and start her life all over again.
Betty Thomas,
who directed the hit comedies "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "Howard
Stern's Private Parts", goes down a more serious road with "28 Days".
While the film is incredibly predictable, it still makes for an
engaging experience. The interplay with the other patients starts
off as confrontational, as Gwen complains about everything from
not having any cigarettes to how awful her life is. She finally
turns the corner when she realizes that in order to confront her
issues, she must help the other patients confront theirs. This makes
for some sappy bonding moments, but we're spared the inevitable
hankie tuggers with some of the funnier bits that Thomas does best.
Ever since her
breakthrough performances in "Speed" and "While You Were Sleeping",
Sandra Bullock has made a career at choosing some very marketable
roles in less-than-marketable movies. While "Hope Floats" and "Forces
of Nature" were average films at best, she still had to contend
with having "Gun Shy" and "Speed 2" on her resume (the latter of
which almost destroyed her career). Fortunately, "28 Days" is better
than all of those films put together. Bullock's performance is top-notch,
and she gives her always-reliable girl-next-door routine a much
needed edge. Once she gets over her disgust at being in rehab, she
turns her attention to confronting her demons and putting the past
behind her. It's important for everybody to connect to her character,
because, let's face it, something like this can happen to anybody.
Dominic West
is full of energy as Bullock's hard partying boyfriend, and he electrifies
the screen with every scene that he's in. Alan Tyduk plays a patient
who balances the more sappy rehab scenes with some downright funny
moments. Viggo Mortensen puts in his two cents worth as an addicted
baseball player, but it is Steve Buscemi who gets the short end
of the stick. Instead of infusing his usually oddball charm to the
role of the rehab counselor, he gives a more subdued performance
that could have been played by anybody.
The rehab center
portrayed here may seem like a picnic on the outside, but it's a
lot of hard work on the inside. Overcoming addiction is hard enough
with the help of the other patients around you, but the real test
comes when it's time to go back into the real world. The success
rate is not high, but it can happen if you want it to. Nobody can
help you until you want to help yourself. "28 Days" is a step in
the right direction for Sandra Bullock's career, and hopefully she'll
want to help herself even more by moving onto even greener pastures.
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