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This is a (in my arrogant opinion) rare movie about the experience of drug rehabilitation. With a pretty stand-out cast too. We got Sandra Bullock (super cutie), Viggo Mortensen, Alan Tudyk, and Steve Buscemi. A bit surprising too actually that so many notable actors signed on to this kind of movie. But then again, Hollywood is rather infamous with actors having drug problems... What I personally really like about this movie is that, as awkward as its execution can be at times (What the fuck is this soundtrack?), its heart is definitely in the right place, and it has a nice touch of realism to it. It can feel a bit preachy at times (and no, I'm not talking about the humorous/satiric parts), but hey, this is a movie about drug rehab. It's inevitable that it's gonna sound a bit like a drug PSA. I'm willing to accept that.
And the movie I notice has the right drugs in its crosshairs. Nasty drugs like opiates, alcohol, and meth. No mention of weed or psychedelics. Good. I'm all for going after these hard drugs that actually fuck your life up, but let's not toss out the baby with the bathwater here. I think 28 Days has the maturity to understand this. (For more details, see the first episode of The Midnight Gospel.) But this movie is not just about recovering from hard drugs. It's also about general bad habits and finally taking responsibility for one's actions. And it also gives some treatment to the stories of victims too, again, with refreshing maturity.
So... That's a lot of good stuff I mentioned. Why is it only three stars then? Well... The execution really could be better here. Again, the soundtrack just is awkward as fuck and really did a great job of ruining my immersion in the movie. Maybe they ran out of time and had to use the placeholders? I don't know. Either way, it's just bad and such a shame too, because the actors are giving a great performance here. They don't need it partly messed up with an awful soundtrack. Even just pure silence during the entire runtime of this movie would have worked way better than what we got here.
The other problems are less egregious for sure, but problems nonetheless. For one, I really wish the movie fleshed out the stories of the other rehab patients more. Andrea is given particular emphasis, yes, but the others I feel aren't really given the chance to tell their stories. And for the last problem, I think the joke of the cheesy-as-fuck songs at rehab was a bit overplayed.
So, it's time to conclude our session here then. Is 28 Days worth taking a chance on? I definitely think so, and ESPECIALLY if you've suffered from these problems in your life. In fact, 3 stars may be too harsh. It should probably be 3 and a 1/2. Maybe this movie might help you, maybe it won't, but perhaps at least you can find at least one character to empathize with here, whether you're a suffering addict or a victim of addict behavior, and sometimes, that is a help and a comfort all on its own.
And the movie I notice has the right drugs in its crosshairs. Nasty drugs like opiates, alcohol, and meth. No mention of weed or psychedelics. Good. I'm all for going after these hard drugs that actually fuck your life up, but let's not toss out the baby with the bathwater here. I think 28 Days has the maturity to understand this. (For more details, see the first episode of The Midnight Gospel.) But this movie is not just about recovering from hard drugs. It's also about general bad habits and finally taking responsibility for one's actions. And it also gives some treatment to the stories of victims too, again, with refreshing maturity.
So... That's a lot of good stuff I mentioned. Why is it only three stars then? Well... The execution really could be better here. Again, the soundtrack just is awkward as fuck and really did a great job of ruining my immersion in the movie. Maybe they ran out of time and had to use the placeholders? I don't know. Either way, it's just bad and such a shame too, because the actors are giving a great performance here. They don't need it partly messed up with an awful soundtrack. Even just pure silence during the entire runtime of this movie would have worked way better than what we got here.
The other problems are less egregious for sure, but problems nonetheless. For one, I really wish the movie fleshed out the stories of the other rehab patients more. Andrea is given particular emphasis, yes, but the others I feel aren't really given the chance to tell their stories. And for the last problem, I think the joke of the cheesy-as-fuck songs at rehab was a bit overplayed.
So, it's time to conclude our session here then. Is 28 Days worth taking a chance on? I definitely think so, and ESPECIALLY if you've suffered from these problems in your life. In fact, 3 stars may be too harsh. It should probably be 3 and a 1/2. Maybe this movie might help you, maybe it won't, but perhaps at least you can find at least one character to empathize with here, whether you're a suffering addict or a victim of addict behavior, and sometimes, that is a help and a comfort all on its own.
