| Coming off of roles in which they brilliantly played against type, Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler are back to their old tricks, and cinematic selves, in Anger Management.
After Nicholson was passed over by Oscar for his stellar and understated performance as a humble Midwesterner in About Schmidt and Sandler shocked fans with his turn as the unbalanced protagonist of the bizarre Punch Drunk Love, it’s disappointing to see the two stars return to form in this standard comedy.
Delivering that familiar dose of cheery insanity, which is suggested in each toothy smile he flashes, Nicholson stars here as the unorthodox anger management guru Dr. Buddy Rydell. When Dave Buznik (Sandler), an insecure and mousy executive secretary, is thrown into Rydell’s self-help group after wrangling with a flight attendant, the unknowing Manhattanite becomes the subject of a nightmare recovery. Given the option to complete the crazy doc’s program or go to jail for a year, Buznick unwillingly plays host and best friend to the quack.
Filled with less infantile humour than is found in most of Sandler’s films, Anger Management is nevertheless stale. Nicholson is endlessly enjoyable as the irascible doctor, but Sandler’s mumbling-idiot routine becomes old quickly. And while some wonderful character actors – like John Turturro and Luis Guzman (who’s been memorable in films like Out of Sight and Boogie Nights) –are members of Buddy’s group, their scripted material often falls flat.
Surprisingly, Heather Graham and John C. Reilly draw more laughs as an insecure actress and angry monk, respectively. With many cameos (look out for Rudy Giuliani, John McEnroe and Bobby Knight), Anger Management offers several scenarios that are almost hilarious, but should have been funnier. Ironically enough, more of the potty humour Sandler built his career on could have made this therapy session more enjoyable. |
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