Sandra Bullock is everyone’s dream girl. Men want to date her and women want to be like her. Whenever movies starring her come out, people rush to theaters to see her beautiful personality on the big screen.
28 Days is one of those movies. Bullock does wonders as a recovering alcoholic and manages to touch at this serious subject in an emotional and humorous way.
Bullock plays Gwen Cummings, a New York writer who loves partying, especially with a bottle in hand. She shares her fast life with boyfriend Jasper, played by British actor Dominic West (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Together they go to clubs, dance crazy and get drunk — forgetting everything in the morning.
But her life changes when her drunken behavior spoils her sister Lily’s wedding, played by Elizabeth Perkins (Crazy in Alabama). Driving a limo and crashing into a house gets her 28 days at Serenity Glen, a ’70s-style rehab clinic.
Gwen is not used to the rules and rituals that face her in rehab. Nor is she accustomed to her fellow rehabbers, each eccentric in his or her own way. Among others, there’s her 17-year-old roommate who enjoys chocolate at night and Santa Cruz, a soap opera that soon enthralls everyone; the baseball star trying not to procreate; and the gay German stripper who is all too emotional.
Injuring her leg trying to climb a tree at night to rescue some pills is the first step that sparks change for Gwen. Steve Buscemi (Con Air) plays Cornell, a counselor, who also helps Gwen take a look at her true self, by managing to carefully break through her constructed defenses. With this newfound insight, Gwen begins her path of change and her role as a bitchy-nonconformist blends into someone who cares more for the people around her.
The road to recovery is not easy for Gwen, though. She still has to deal with Jasper and his incessant attempts to take her away. Gwen and the group also suffer a tragic loss, which makes recovery all the more important to her.
28 Days is an awesome movie. Sandra Bullock is at her best, managing to play the fragile role of an alcoholic superbly. Her supporting cast also manages to capture your attention, leading you on an emotional roller coaster that has makes the film enjoyable.
Grade: A
– Jigsha Desai
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