Review of 28 Days (2000) by Kai82 — 25 Sep 2022

Actually my sister dragged me to the cinema to watch it back then. What I did not expect was really liking the movie. The characters and story won me over fast. The story follows Gwen Cummings who is a successful journalist.

However her life is also full of drugs, alcohol and wild parties. She and her boyfriend went to her sisters wedding and she ruins it by knocking over the wedding cake and other things. She has afterwards a car accident while being drunk and is given at the trial the choice between jail time and rehabilitation.

This is the set up of the movie. I like the story and how they address the difficult issues of addiction, drugs and self deception. It might be a bit generic and a bit superficial or fairy tale like but works well.

Also I recognized it is a movie critics dislike but the normal viewers enjoyed much more. Back then this was a lesser problem by the way. The actors gave the characters immersion and I cared for them.

Sandra Bullock as Gwen Cummings is excellent. Then we have a before Lord of the Rings Viggo Mortenson, the magnificent Azura Skye, Dominic West and Steve Buscemi that I enjoyed. For me this is a really good cast and they improve the experience.

I think there is no need to talk about effects, costumes and sets. They all work and get what they intended. Overall this is a forgotten movie that I enjoyed. Worth watching but hard to get today. Will only be a footnote at best in the actors careers but this does not mean it is bad.