By EWAN McDONALD
(Herald rating: * * )
Adam Sandler made a serious mistake with his last movie, Punch Drunk Love: he made a damn good film that was inspired, poignant and at times tasteful. Perhaps the involvement of Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) as director had something to do with
that; whatever, Sandler's new DVD shows that the king of big, dumb, gross-out "comedy" won't make that mistake again.
Sandler plays mild-mannered Dave Buznik. Everything looks good for Dave: he's just got a promotion and adores his fiancee, Linda (Marisa Tomei). His life turns to custard on a plane trip when a series of bizarre accidents happens, he's tagged as a man with an anger problem and sent to a famous therapist, Dr Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson — yep, that Jack Nicholson).
He brings Dave into a therapy group that's really just a cover for a series of guest appearances. First cabs off the rank are the truly crazy Luis Guzman, who appeared with Sandler in Punch Drunk Love, and John Turturro.
Dave's life will disintegrate further until he becomes involved in a bar fight and with assorted characters including a blind man (Harry Dean Stanton), a drag queen (Woody Harrelson), a Buddhist monk (John C. Reilly), Heather Graham and Paul Holmes' new best friend, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Dave, who is not really an angry man nor even a disturbed one, and Dr Rydell, who is, will go through several adventures that will include a court case and a happy ending that plumbs new depths of movie cliche.
And at the end of which you will be asking the question: what is one of the greatest movie actors of all time doing in this? He doesn't have any alimony to pay, does he?
DVD features: movie (111 min); commentary by director Peter Segal and Sandler; Do You Have Anger Problems? feature; 4 deleted scenes; Skull Session promotional piece; My Buddy, Jack ode to Nicholson; bloopers; trailers.
