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28 Days
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"Folks, the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over, expecting different results." It is truly amazing the things that are turned into comedies, things that in life just can't be this funny. In 28 days, Sandra Bullock plays an Alcoholic and drug user, that is "sentenced" to a month long rehab program. While the subject matter of drunken stupidity, ruining your family and friends' lives, destruction of property, and just plain self-annihilation, in itself is not funny, this movie does find a way to make the recovery from it seem like entertaining. Although it does have its very sad moments that tear at your heart stings, 28 days is fun to watch, with more that just a few chuckles mixed in. DVD video and sound quality are about average, making the extra features the only stand out here. Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) is a free sprit, a true party animal, and the type that always goes overboard. When her drinking and drug abuse get out of control at her sisters wedding, what with being late, destroying the wedding cake, and then stealing the limo and crashing into a nearby home, something must be done. So the judge gives her an ultimatum, 28-days in rehab, or go to jail. It is easy to figure out which choice Gwen takes, she's thinking, "How bad can rehab be?" This is no country club though. The rules are tuff, no cell phone, carry your own bags, there are chores to do, and of course no stimulants or drugs of any kind (including sex and caffeine!). If the rules aren't bad enough, the rituals are even stranger like, chanting, sing-outs, and the ever popular sharing your feelings. Skeptical at first, Gwen starts to find her rhythm eventually. Can she over come her demons, restore her family's faith in her, get her life in order, and still remain "clean and sober?" The video and audio quality here are both just average. The anamorphic 1.85:1 video does contain a small amount of artifacting, and film grain, mostly in complicated backgrounds in darker scenes. Not distracting, but clearly evident on larger projection systems. The audio, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, is clearly front focused, putting most of its effort into the mainly dialog driven story. The surrounds are only utilized for some subtle effects (Check out the crickets, during the scene where Andrea is packing!). Listed as a "Special Edition", this DVD version of 28 Days has plenty of our favorite extras. The list of extras include a director's commentary, HBO Making of Special, Deleted Scenes, a complete "Santa Cruz" Soap Opera, Isolated Music Score, and even instructions on how to make a gum wrapper chain. For anyone with an addiction or recovering from one, or if you are living with someone that is still using or recovering, this may just hit close to home. Regardless, everyone will find something that they like here, even if it is just how cute Sandra Bullock is in this role. …and he always had some mighty fine wine. Joy to the World…
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
28 Days It is truly amazing the things that are turned into comedies, things that in life just can't be this funny. Staring: Sandra Bullock Directed By: Betty Thomas Running time: 104 Min Bonus Materials
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