Gwen (Sandra Bullock) is an alcoholic. She ruins her sisters (Elizabeth Perkins) wedding when she crashes into a house with the wedding limousine. She´s condemned to 28 days in a rehabilitation center. Gwen thinks the patients are crazy and she´s the only one who´s normal. But soon she learns the opposite.
It´s always a walk on a thin line when Hollywood makes a movie for a bigger audience about such a difficult theme. "When a man loves a woman" - starring Meg Ryan - worked better as a tear-jearker. I think the best best movie about the problem of alcoholism is Mike Figgis "Leaving Las Vegas". "28 days" is somewhere between these two movies. But there´s a big difference to "Leaving Las Vegas". Ben - the character Nicolas Cage played - had GIVEN UP the hope to stop drinking. By the way this film had a more pessimistic and disturbing mood, while "28 days" is a tragic-comedy and starts from another point. Gwen´s whole life is a party. Drinking is like a hobby for her. She DOESN`T EVEN REALIZE that she has a problem and it lasts a while until she recognizes it. "Wake up! Be honest to yourself!" - maybe that sounds banal, and maybe it isn´t that easy, but in my opinion this was the message of the movie. Some people criticized that it´s too "soapy". In my eyes, it´s not. I think it COULD be a positive motivation. If a movie can move something in people - if only a little bit - then it´s a big success.
Sandra Bullock is absolutely believable in her role. She can play more than the cute girl from next door. I was pleasantly surprised! The supporting cast is brilliant: Elizabeth Perkins, Steve Buscemi but especially Azura Skye as Gwen´s room-mate Andrea - they gave convincing and far un-cliched performances. Betty Thomas - famous for light comedy stuff as "Dr.Doolittle"- has proofed that she also can direct a dramatic movie. Of course, this is not "Leaving Las Vegas" - but on the other hand, who had expected it? "28 days" has a class of its own. A human film.
It´s always a walk on a thin line when Hollywood makes a movie for a bigger audience about such a difficult theme. "When a man loves a woman" - starring Meg Ryan - worked better as a tear-jearker. I think the best best movie about the problem of alcoholism is Mike Figgis "Leaving Las Vegas". "28 days" is somewhere between these two movies. But there´s a big difference to "Leaving Las Vegas". Ben - the character Nicolas Cage played - had GIVEN UP the hope to stop drinking. By the way this film had a more pessimistic and disturbing mood, while "28 days" is a tragic-comedy and starts from another point. Gwen´s whole life is a party. Drinking is like a hobby for her. She DOESN`T EVEN REALIZE that she has a problem and it lasts a while until she recognizes it. "Wake up! Be honest to yourself!" - maybe that sounds banal, and maybe it isn´t that easy, but in my opinion this was the message of the movie. Some people criticized that it´s too "soapy". In my eyes, it´s not. I think it COULD be a positive motivation. If a movie can move something in people - if only a little bit - then it´s a big success.
Sandra Bullock is absolutely believable in her role. She can play more than the cute girl from next door. I was pleasantly surprised! The supporting cast is brilliant: Elizabeth Perkins, Steve Buscemi but especially Azura Skye as Gwen´s room-mate Andrea - they gave convincing and far un-cliched performances. Betty Thomas - famous for light comedy stuff as "Dr.Doolittle"- has proofed that she also can direct a dramatic movie. Of course, this is not "Leaving Las Vegas" - but on the other hand, who had expected it? "28 days" has a class of its own. A human film.