Amazon.co.uk Review
To appreciate 28 Days, it's best to be thankful that director Betty Thomas hasn't forced Sandra Bullock into a remake of Clean and Sober. Instead Thomas has balanced her comedic sensibility (evident in Dr. Dolittle and Private Parts) with the seriousness of alcoholism and substance abuse, and she succeeds without compromising the gravity of the subject matter. Some critics have scoffed at the movie's breezy, formulaic portrait of 27-year-old boozer and pill-popper Gwen Cummings (Bullock), but this smooth-running star vehicle does for Bullock what Erin Brockovich did for Julia Roberts, focusing her appeal in a substantial role without taxing the limits of her talent. It's no wonder that Susannah Grant (who wrote both films) was one of the hottest new screenwriters of 1999. She writes "Hollywood Lite" without insulting anyone's intelligence.
As played by Bullock, Gwen is an alcoholic in denial whose latest bender with boozer boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) ruins the wedding of her sister (Elizabeth Perkins) and lands her in a month-long rehab program with the requisite gang of struggling drunks and junkies. Newcomer Alan Tudyk steals his scenes as a gay German rehabber who might've dropped in from a Berlin performance-art exhibit, and Steve Buscemi aptly conveys the weary commitment of a counsellor who's seen it all. Thomas has surrounded Bullock with a sharp ensemble, and the addition of singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (as a kind of Greek chorus crooner) is sublimely inspired. Certainly no surprises here--the warring sisters will reconcile, and at least one rehabber will fail to recover--but there's ample pleasure to be found in Bullock's finely tuned performance, and in Thomas's inclusion of flashbacks and tangents that add depth and laughter in just the right dosage. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
I was impressed.......2006-11-19
I can't say I'm a big fan of Sandra Bullock's films but this one really surprised me. I didn't know what to expect in terms of tone but was pleased with how even a path the film managed to tread between comedy and drama. Bullock's performance was another surprise, I was really impressed, and the supporting actors are brilliantly quirky and interesting, with the wonderful Alan Tudyk as the stand-out for me.
28 days.......2006-07-17
i thought this was one ov the best films i av seen in ages it makes u laugh and cry i would recommend this to girls ov all ages well from about 14 up to 60
28 Days.......2006-06-25
Sandra Bullock appears in one of 3 films released in the same year and it's definitely one you shouldn't watch 'cause of the sheer fact that it's utterly depressing. She stars as Gwen Cummings, the wild Manhattan child who's sent to rehab after stealing her sister's limo at her wedding and then driving it into a house. Admitting she's hasn't got a drinking problem, she slowly comes to terms with her alcholism with some tough guidance from her counsellor Steve Buscemi. Although I enjoy watching Bullock on screen, she's terribly wasted in this schmaltzy drama which, albeit reveals some pretty compelling performances from her supporting cast, shows Betty Thomas' direction is sloppy, uninspiring and uninvolving.
Not Bullock's usual style..........2006-04-02
Sandra Bullock usually has a pretty reliable formula in films - a bit ditzy, hippy-ish, lovable and girly while kicking butt the whole time. Not here - In 28 Days she plays an entirely different character, and the result is quite surprising. This is a great film that takes you through the trials of addiction, but not at all in a depressing way. In fact, considering the subject it's actually really uplifting as you follow Gwen (Bullock) through coming to terms with her problems and learning to help herself. You laugh, you cry, you think about it and you come away feeling pretty good. It's good in that it doesn't try to preach to you or impart some cheesy moral, but still makes you think about addiction without being too serious.
If you're a fan of Sandra Bullock's more conventional style movies then it does take a few minutes to adjust to Gwen's persona & a more serious plot line, & for a while you can't help but expect a lighthearted chick flick. Do stick with it, Bullock pulls it off much better than you'd expect.
This is a fab film & well worth watching, especially if you're already a Bullock fan. It does have a good few funny moments & makes for enjoyable viewing, & doesn't ruin its originality with any expected romance sub-plots - all in all it's a great film & definitely worth a look.
Sandra shows her serious side.......2005-03-29
Sandra Bullock plays a habitually drunk or hung-over, pill popping party girl who arrives late and dishevelled for her sister's wedding and dances so wildly that she goes careering into the cake. In an attempt to buy a replacement, she then steals the wedding limo and ends up sentenced to 28 days in rehab for crashing it into a house. So far, so wild and outrageous. The bulk of this thoughtful movie deals with her character's efforts to get sober, despite her carefree boyfriend's sabotaging visits. There is a fine ensemble performance from her fellow inmates. Steve Buscemi also puts in brief appearances as her counsellor. This is not Bullock's usual light-hearted fare. She shows she can cut it in a serious role too. Worth watching.
Amazon.co.uk Review
To appreciate 28 Days, it's best to be thankful that director Betty Thomas hasn't forced Sandra Bullock into a remake of Clean and Sober. Instead Thomas has balanced her comedic sensibility (evident in Dr. Dolittle and Private Parts) with the seriousness of alcoholism and substance abuse, and she succeeds without compromising the gravity of the subject matter. Some critics have scoffed at the movie's breezy, formulaic portrait of 27-year-old boozer and pill-popper Gwen Cummings (Bullock), but this smooth-running star vehicle does for Bullock what Erin Brockovich did for Julia Roberts, focusing her appeal in a substantial role without taxing the limits of her talent. It's no wonder that Susannah Grant (who wrote both films) was one of the hottest new screenwriters of 1999. She writes "Hollywood Lite" without insulting anyone's intelligence.
As played by Bullock, Gwen is an alcoholic in denial whose latest bender with boozer boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) ruins the wedding of her sister (Elizabeth Perkins) and lands her in a month-long rehab program with the requisite gang of struggling drunks and junkies. Newcomer Alan Tudyk steals his scenes as a gay German rehabber who might've dropped in from a Berlin performance-art exhibit, and Steve Buscemi aptly conveys the weary commitment of a counsellor who's seen it all. Thomas has surrounded Bullock with a sharp ensemble, and the addition of singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (as a kind of Greek chorus crooner) is sublimely inspired. Certainly no surprises here--the warring sisters will reconcile, and at least one rehabber will fail to recover--but there's ample pleasure to be found in Bullock's finely tuned performance, and in Thomas's inclusion of flashbacks and tangents that add depth and laughter in just the right dosage. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
I was impressed.......2006-11-19
I can't say I'm a big fan of Sandra Bullock's films but this one really surprised me. I didn't know what to expect in terms of tone but was pleased with how even a path the film managed to tread between comedy and drama. Bullock's performance was another surprise, I was really impressed, and the supporting actors are brilliantly quirky and interesting, with the wonderful Alan Tudyk as the stand-out for me.
28 days.......2006-07-17
i thought this was one ov the best films i av seen in ages it makes u laugh and cry i would recommend this to girls ov all ages well from about 14 up to 60
28 Days.......2006-06-25
Sandra Bullock appears in one of 3 films released in the same year and it's definitely one you shouldn't watch 'cause of the sheer fact that it's utterly depressing. She stars as Gwen Cummings, the wild Manhattan child who's sent to rehab after stealing her sister's limo at her wedding and then driving it into a house. Admitting she's hasn't got a drinking problem, she slowly comes to terms with her alcholism with some tough guidance from her counsellor Steve Buscemi. Although I enjoy watching Bullock on screen, she's terribly wasted in this schmaltzy drama which, albeit reveals some pretty compelling performances from her supporting cast, shows Betty Thomas' direction is sloppy, uninspiring and uninvolving.
Not Bullock's usual style..........2006-04-02
Sandra Bullock usually has a pretty reliable formula in films - a bit ditzy, hippy-ish, lovable and girly while kicking butt the whole time. Not here - In 28 Days she plays an entirely different character, and the result is quite surprising. This is a great film that takes you through the trials of addiction, but not at all in a depressing way. In fact, considering the subject it's actually really uplifting as you follow Gwen (Bullock) through coming to terms with her problems and learning to help herself. You laugh, you cry, you think about it and you come away feeling pretty good. It's good in that it doesn't try to preach to you or impart some cheesy moral, but still makes you think about addiction without being too serious.
If you're a fan of Sandra Bullock's more conventional style movies then it does take a few minutes to adjust to Gwen's persona & a more serious plot line, & for a while you can't help but expect a lighthearted chick flick. Do stick with it, Bullock pulls it off much better than you'd expect.
This is a fab film & well worth watching, especially if you're already a Bullock fan. It does have a good few funny moments & makes for enjoyable viewing, & doesn't ruin its originality with any expected romance sub-plots - all in all it's a great film & definitely worth a look.
Sandra shows her serious side.......2005-03-29
Sandra Bullock plays a habitually drunk or hung-over, pill popping party girl who arrives late and dishevelled for her sister's wedding and dances so wildly that she goes careering into the cake. In an attempt to buy a replacement, she then steals the wedding limo and ends up sentenced to 28 days in rehab for crashing it into a house. So far, so wild and outrageous. The bulk of this thoughtful movie deals with her character's efforts to get sober, despite her carefree boyfriend's sabotaging visits. There is a fine ensemble performance from her fellow inmates. Steve Buscemi also puts in brief appearances as her counsellor. This is not Bullock's usual light-hearted fare. She shows she can cut it in a serious role too. Worth watching.
Amazon.co.uk Review
To appreciate 28 Days, it's best to be thankful that director Betty Thomas hasn't forced Sandra Bullock into a remake of Clean and Sober. Instead Thomas has balanced her comedic sensibility (evident in Dr. Dolittle and Private Parts) with the seriousness of alcoholism and substance abuse, and she succeeds without compromising the gravity of the subject matter. Some critics have scoffed at the movie's breezy, formulaic portrait of 27-year-old boozer and pill-popper Gwen Cummings (Bullock), but this smooth-running star vehicle does for Bullock what Erin Brockovich did for Julia Roberts, focusing her appeal in a substantial role without taxing the limits of her talent. It's no wonder that Susannah Grant (who wrote both films) was one of the hottest new screenwriters of 1999. She writes "Hollywood Lite" without insulting anyone's intelligence.
As played by Bullock, Gwen is an alcoholic in denial whose latest bender with boozer boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) ruins the wedding of her sister (Elizabeth Perkins) and lands her in a month-long rehab program with the requisite gang of struggling drunks and junkies. Newcomer Alan Tudyk steals his scenes as a gay German rehabber who might've dropped in from a Berlin performance-art exhibit, and Steve Buscemi aptly conveys the weary commitment of a counsellor who's seen it all. Thomas has surrounded Bullock with a sharp ensemble, and the addition of singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (as a kind of Greek chorus crooner) is sublimely inspired. Certainly no surprises here--the warring sisters will reconcile, and at least one rehabber will fail to recover--but there's ample pleasure to be found in Bullock's finely tuned performance, and in Thomas's inclusion of flashbacks and tangents that add depth and laughter in just the right dosage. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
I was impressed.......2006-11-19
I can't say I'm a big fan of Sandra Bullock's films but this one really surprised me. I didn't know what to expect in terms of tone but was pleased with how even a path the film managed to tread between comedy and drama. Bullock's performance was another surprise, I was really impressed, and the supporting actors are brilliantly quirky and interesting, with the wonderful Alan Tudyk as the stand-out for me.
28 days.......2006-07-17
i thought this was one ov the best films i av seen in ages it makes u laugh and cry i would recommend this to girls ov all ages well from about 14 up to 60
28 Days.......2006-06-25
Sandra Bullock appears in one of 3 films released in the same year and it's definitely one you shouldn't watch 'cause of the sheer fact that it's utterly depressing. She stars as Gwen Cummings, the wild Manhattan child who's sent to rehab after stealing her sister's limo at her wedding and then driving it into a house. Admitting she's hasn't got a drinking problem, she slowly comes to terms with her alcholism with some tough guidance from her counsellor Steve Buscemi. Although I enjoy watching Bullock on screen, she's terribly wasted in this schmaltzy drama which, albeit reveals some pretty compelling performances from her supporting cast, shows Betty Thomas' direction is sloppy, uninspiring and uninvolving.
Not Bullock's usual style..........2006-04-02
Sandra Bullock usually has a pretty reliable formula in films - a bit ditzy, hippy-ish, lovable and girly while kicking butt the whole time. Not here - In 28 Days she plays an entirely different character, and the result is quite surprising. This is a great film that takes you through the trials of addiction, but not at all in a depressing way. In fact, considering the subject it's actually really uplifting as you follow Gwen (Bullock) through coming to terms with her problems and learning to help herself. You laugh, you cry, you think about it and you come away feeling pretty good. It's good in that it doesn't try to preach to you or impart some cheesy moral, but still makes you think about addiction without being too serious.
If you're a fan of Sandra Bullock's more conventional style movies then it does take a few minutes to adjust to Gwen's persona & a more serious plot line, & for a while you can't help but expect a lighthearted chick flick. Do stick with it, Bullock pulls it off much better than you'd expect.
This is a fab film & well worth watching, especially if you're already a Bullock fan. It does have a good few funny moments & makes for enjoyable viewing, & doesn't ruin its originality with any expected romance sub-plots - all in all it's a great film & definitely worth a look.
Sandra shows her serious side.......2005-03-29
Sandra Bullock plays a habitually drunk or hung-over, pill popping party girl who arrives late and dishevelled for her sister's wedding and dances so wildly that she goes careering into the cake. In an attempt to buy a replacement, she then steals the wedding limo and ends up sentenced to 28 days in rehab for crashing it into a house. So far, so wild and outrageous. The bulk of this thoughtful movie deals with her character's efforts to get sober, despite her carefree boyfriend's sabotaging visits. There is a fine ensemble performance from her fellow inmates. Steve Buscemi also puts in brief appearances as her counsellor. This is not Bullock's usual light-hearted fare. She shows she can cut it in a serious role too. Worth watching.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Sunshine - You can never accuse director Danny Boyle of lacking ambition. Sunshine sees one of Britain's most successful directors switching genre once more, as he tackles this gripping science fiction flick about a quest to re-ignite the dying sun. And he nails it, too, adding another plus to a CV that's already covered a kids' film (Millions), a big Hollywood blockbuster (The Beach), horror (28 Days Later), and a pair of British classics (Trainspotting and Shallow Grave). Bursting out of the gate at a terrific pace, Sunshine then doesn't take its foot off the accelerator for much of its near-two hour running time. Set around the crew of the Icarus II who find themselves on a life-saving mission, things soon start going awry, and while you'll find no plot spoilers here, Boyle proves a dab hand at ratcheting up tension on the way to the big finale. If anything, it's the finale to Sunshine that does let the side down, not quite living up to the standard of what preceded it. But such is the strength of the ride to that point that it's hard to complain. Especially when the cast, led by the always-magnetic Cillian Murphy, put in believable performances and get heavily into the spirit of the film. Topped off with cracking effects that belie its modest budget, Sunshine is a real treat, not just for sci-fi fans, but for anyone who likes a strong, tense, thrilling night in front of a movie. --Jon Foster
28 Days Later - Anti-vivisection activists make a very bad judgment call and release an experimental monkey infected with "rage". 28 Days Later..., as the title has it, bicycle messenger Cillian Murphy wakes up from a post-traffic accident coma in a deserted London hospital, ventures out to find the city depopulated and the few remaining normal people doing everything to avoid the jittery, savage, zombie-like "infecteds" who attack on sight. Our bewildered hero has to adjust to the loss of his family and the entire world, but hooks up with several others--including a tough black woman (Naomie Harris) and a likable London cabbie (Brendan Gleeson)--on a perilous trip northwards, to seek refuge at army officer Christopher Eccleston's fortified retreat. However, even if they survive the plague, the future of humanity is still in doubt. Directed by Danny Boyle and scripted by novelist Alex Garland, this is a terrific SF/horror hybrid, evoking American and Italian zombie movies but also the very British end-of-the-world tradition of John Wyndham (Day of the Triffids) and Survivors. Shot on digital video, which gives the devastated cityscapes a closed-circuit-camera realism, this grips from the first, with its understandably extreme performances, its terrifyingly swift monster attacks and its underlying melancholy. Deliberately crude, 28 Days Later is also sometimes exceptionally subtle. --Kim Newman
The Beach - Leonardo DiCaprio sought to distance himself from the cloying wholesomeness of his character in Titanic, and his role in The Beach is in many ways a polar opposite. As Richard, a young American seeking to "suck in the experience" of freestyle travel in Thailand, he is a chronic liar, a pot-smoking hedonist, an amoral lover and ultimately an unstable snake in a doomed Garden of Eden. This crazy descent might be expected from the filmmakers of Trainspotting, but The Beach is a movie without a rudder, venturing into fascinating territory, promising a stimulating adventure and then careening out of control. After receiving a not-so-secret map to a secluded island from a stoned-out loony (Robert Carlyle, full of dark portent and spittle), Richard sets out to find the hidden paradise with a young French couple (Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet). What they find is a tropical commune existing in delicate balance with Thai pot farmers, and before long--as always--there is trouble in paradise. There is trouble in the movie, too, as DiCaprio is reduced to histrionics when the plot turns into a muddled mix of Lord of the Flies and Apocalypse Now, with shark attacks tossed in for shallow tension. Director Danny Boyle attempts perfunctory romance and a few audacious moves (notably DiCaprio's vision of life as a violent video game), but what's the point? Tilda Swinton registers strongly as the commune's charismatic leader, but her character--and the entire film--remains largely undeveloped, and pretty scenery is no guarantee of a laudable film. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.co.uk Review
To appreciate 28 Days, it's best to be thankful that director Betty Thomas hasn't forced Sandra Bullock into a remake of Clean and Sober. Instead Thomas has balanced her comedic sensibility (evident in Dr. Dolittle and Private Parts) with the seriousness of alcoholism and substance abuse, and she succeeds without compromising the gravity of the subject matter. Some critics have scoffed at the movie's breezy, formulaic portrait of 27-year-old boozer and pill-popper Gwen Cummings (Bullock), but this smooth-running star vehicle does for Bullock what Erin Brockovich did for Julia Roberts, focusing her appeal in a substantial role without taxing the limits of her talent. It's no wonder that Susannah Grant (who wrote both films) was one of the hottest new screenwriters of 1999. She writes "Hollywood Lite" without insulting anyone's intelligence.
As played by Bullock, Gwen is an alcoholic in denial whose latest bender with boozer boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) ruins the wedding of her sister (Elizabeth Perkins) and lands her in a month-long rehab program with the requisite gang of struggling drunks and junkies. Newcomer Alan Tudyk steals his scenes as a gay German rehabber who might've dropped in from a Berlin performance-art exhibit, and Steve Buscemi aptly conveys the weary commitment of a counsellor who's seen it all. Thomas has surrounded Bullock with a sharp ensemble, and the addition of singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (as a kind of Greek chorus crooner) is sublimely inspired. Certainly no surprises here--the warring sisters will reconcile, and at least one rehabber will fail to recover--but there's ample pleasure to be found in Bullock's finely tuned performance, and in Thomas's inclusion of flashbacks and tangents that add depth and laughter in just the right dosage. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
I was impressed.......2006-11-19
I can't say I'm a big fan of Sandra Bullock's films but this one really surprised me. I didn't know what to expect in terms of tone but was pleased with how even a path the film managed to tread between comedy and drama. Bullock's performance was another surprise, I was really impressed, and the supporting actors are brilliantly quirky and interesting, with the wonderful Alan Tudyk as the stand-out for me.
28 days.......2006-07-17
i thought this was one ov the best films i av seen in ages it makes u laugh and cry i would recommend this to girls ov all ages well from about 14 up to 60
28 Days.......2006-06-25
Sandra Bullock appears in one of 3 films released in the same year and it's definitely one you shouldn't watch 'cause of the sheer fact that it's utterly depressing. She stars as Gwen Cummings, the wild Manhattan child who's sent to rehab after stealing her sister's limo at her wedding and then driving it into a house. Admitting she's hasn't got a drinking problem, she slowly comes to terms with her alcholism with some tough guidance from her counsellor Steve Buscemi. Although I enjoy watching Bullock on screen, she's terribly wasted in this schmaltzy drama which, albeit reveals some pretty compelling performances from her supporting cast, shows Betty Thomas' direction is sloppy, uninspiring and uninvolving.
Not Bullock's usual style..........2006-04-02
Sandra Bullock usually has a pretty reliable formula in films - a bit ditzy, hippy-ish, lovable and girly while kicking butt the whole time. Not here - In 28 Days she plays an entirely different character, and the result is quite surprising. This is a great film that takes you through the trials of addiction, but not at all in a depressing way. In fact, considering the subject it's actually really uplifting as you follow Gwen (Bullock) through coming to terms with her problems and learning to help herself. You laugh, you cry, you think about it and you come away feeling pretty good. It's good in that it doesn't try to preach to you or impart some cheesy moral, but still makes you think about addiction without being too serious.
If you're a fan of Sandra Bullock's more conventional style movies then it does take a few minutes to adjust to Gwen's persona & a more serious plot line, & for a while you can't help but expect a lighthearted chick flick. Do stick with it, Bullock pulls it off much better than you'd expect.
This is a fab film & well worth watching, especially if you're already a Bullock fan. It does have a good few funny moments & makes for enjoyable viewing, & doesn't ruin its originality with any expected romance sub-plots - all in all it's a great film & definitely worth a look.
Sandra shows her serious side.......2005-03-29
Sandra Bullock plays a habitually drunk or hung-over, pill popping party girl who arrives late and dishevelled for her sister's wedding and dances so wildly that she goes careering into the cake. In an attempt to buy a replacement, she then steals the wedding limo and ends up sentenced to 28 days in rehab for crashing it into a house. So far, so wild and outrageous. The bulk of this thoughtful movie deals with her character's efforts to get sober, despite her carefree boyfriend's sabotaging visits. There is a fine ensemble performance from her fellow inmates. Steve Buscemi also puts in brief appearances as her counsellor. This is not Bullock's usual light-hearted fare. She shows she can cut it in a serious role too. Worth watching.
UK DVD:
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UK DVD List
UK DVD
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