30 Days Review
by James Brundage (cnull AT mindspring DOT com)September 21st, 2000
filmcritic.com presents a review from staff member James Brundage.
You can find the review with full credits at
http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/2a460f93626cd4678625624c007f2b46/57e99d2fd60466e58825695c006f2919?OpenDocument
30 DAYS
A film review by James Brundage
Copyright 2000 filmcritic.com
filmcritic.com
Well, we all heard how bad 28 Days was, so coming into 30 Days, you
might just wonder what added torture they could pack into the extra
two. Thank God, 30 Days isn't 28 Days' cheap sequel. It's not 28 Days'
evil twin. It's not even a distant cousin.
Instead of being a schlock comedy about drug rehab, 30 Days is an always
smart, often thoughtful film about detachment, breaking up, true love,
and how all doesn't always turn out for the best.
Jordan (Ben Shenkman) and Sarah (Arija Bareikis) are a pair of
upper-middle class New Yorkers. Jordan co-owns and operates a liquor
store. Sarah is a publicist. Set up by friends, Jordan and Sarah end
up sleeping together because Jordan can't remember the name of a girl he
slept with.
By the time you reach this event, you can be pretty damn sure that this
isn't going to be your run-of-the-mill romance… Or is it?
Sure, the average studio flick won't have a relationship that breaks up
because the man asks the woman to marry her, but this kind of thing is
definitely a trend in the indie world. Aaron Harnick himself was in a
similar movie by the name of Judy Berlin just prior to directing 30
Days. It's becoming as clear-cut and predictable as studio films are
criticized for being for… studio will tend to mean a happy ending and
independent will tend to mean a ponderous, and consequently, unhappy
ending.
The result is that 30 Days is a calculated fiscal risk… low investment
for a slightly higher gain.
Regardless of the fact that we've thought the same thing a hundred times
before, 30 Days still gives that wonderful illusion of originality that
allows us to enjoy it guilt-free. It might not have anything actually
new to put into the debate about male-female relationships, but it does
its business in a way that is entertaining and offers a few new jokes,
not to mention a final shot so unorthodox you have to laugh.
30 Days is moderately well acted, moderately well directed, and
moderately well filmed. Its psuedo-originality manages to make this
otherwise midlist picture into an enjoyable, thoughtful one worth your
$10 if you like independent films, though it would be better placed as a
video rental (or even a buy).
RATING: ***1/2
|----------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|--------------------------------------|
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Aaron Harnick
Producer: Matthew Rego, Michael Rego, Arielle Tepper, Hank Unger
Writer: Aaron Harnick
Starring: Ben Shenkman, Arija Bareikis, Alexander Gaberman, Bradley
White, Thomas McCarthy, Catherine Kellner, Jerry Alder, Barbara Barrie,
Arden Myrin, Mark Feuerstein
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