Anger Management

Today we are looking at a strangely executed movie known as “Anger Management,” released in 2003. After a misunderstanding on a plane, Dave Buznik, played by Adam Sandler, is ordered to take anger management sessions or get locked up in prison. However, his counselor, Dr. Buddy Rydell, played by Jack Nicholson, has some rather nonstandard methods treatment and, before long, Dave is in more trouble than ever.

Empire stated in their review, “Like a visit to the dentist or an overdue tax demand, the arrival of a new Adam Sandler film is something that strikes fear into the hearts of many - especially the discerning cinemagoer who finds his brand of humour too broad to swallow.”

Along with this, Empire stated, “With a track record that includes Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky and Eight Crazy Nights, it's easy to see why there are plenty who feel this way. But while Sandler has more than a few turkeys under his belt, it's unfair to assume he's incapable of making a good film.” If you remember “The Wedding Singer,” that was an enjoyable hit, and his scary turn in “Punch-Drunk Love” showed that he is capable of channeling his trademark silliness.

That is exactly the case in “Anger Management,” which, not having its own flaws, it’s far more watchable and entertaining than the films that gained Sandler his reputation in the first place. At the very least, the fact that is grossed past the $100 million mark in the USA after three weeks of its release, dragging American cinemas out of their wartime sadness, hints that he must be doing something right.

Now Empire also said, “That said, the film's success doesn't so much hinge on Sandler's pratfalls as on his screen relationship with Jack Nicholson - and it's here that Anger Management hits its stride.” From the legitimately hilarious airborne opening sequence – where Sandler’s simple request for a pair of headphones goes brilliantly into the fear of travelling in such security-alert times – to the many set pieces where the two share the screen, this is an inspired partnership that works far better than anyone ever had a right to expect.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Nicholson playing the nonstandard doctor. Rydell is a bizarre creation whose methods to cure his patient of his so-called “mood swings” including moving into his apartment, making inevitable moves on his girlfriend, played by the hot Marisa Tomei, and, at one part, encouraging Dave to sing songs from West Side Story in the middle of a crowded New York highway.

Empire commented, “Sandler, for once upstaged by somebody more over-the-top than himself, is in more restrained form than usual (although it would be hard to be anything but, given he has Nicholson's frantic mugging to contend with).” As such, he makes for an impressive outwit, looking slightly confused throughout but saying enough one-liners to hold his own role against his co-star. This is the kind of buddy movie where everybody – not least the two stars – seems to be enjoying themselves, something that is obvious from the first moment that Sandler and Nicholson are together on screen. It’s unfortunate, then, that the pair’s relationship is at the expense of everybody and everything else, with a superb supporting cast – that includes Luis Guzman, Woody Harrelson, January Jones, Krista Allen and John Turturro as Sandler’s “anger buddy” – given far too little to do.

Tomei, as the romantic interest, is also underused. While screenwriter Dorfman twists enough laughs out of the script, he never realizes the full potential of his dark idea, opting instead for a storyline that never quite answers the question of whether Sandler really has anger management issues or not.

The ending feels lame, most likely in an effort to give audiences their feel-good fix but, as crowd-pleasures go, this delivers the laughs and it won’t do Sandler’s reputation any harm. Besides, any film that cameos John C. Reilly as an aggressive Buddhist monk is likely to bring a smile to the face of even the aforementioned “discerning cinemagoer.” Also, expect a cameo from the drop dead gorgeous Heather Graham. Best part about it, she’s in a Red Sox bikini, which will excite men.

A better script and more attention to other cast members would have helped it but, as it is, Empire declared it as, “the best Adam Sandler comedy since The Wedding Singer.” If you want to see it, go ahead, but I won’t highly recommend it, but I will only just suggest that you should check it out.

Look out next week for the finale of “Jack Nicholson Month.”