Anger Management Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)April 16th, 2003
"Anger Management" – Needs More Therapy by Homer Yen
(c) 2003
Admittedly, there's something tantalizing about the movie poster in which Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson stare each other down nose-to-nose. There is a promise that this marketing piece seems to be making to all of us. There is a potentially great idea that begs to be watched. And with the credibility and the appeal of its two stars, it should be no surprise that the film will open at the top of the box office charts and outgross the next nine films combined!
Nicholson is a master of the sardonic grin, the scornful look, and the brooding anger that gives him such a powerful presence. Meanwhile, Adam Sandler's angry-on-the-inside comic style is starting to mature. Like in many of his sophomoric films and even in the sublime "Punch Drunk Love," he still projects his outward milquetoast demeanor. He is the common man who never receives the kind of respect he deserves but unhealthily hides his unhappiness on the inside. Some angry people are explosive, who will come out to vent their frustration. Sandler's angry character is implosive. That's more dangerous and can yield interesting results.
That's the premise that you might formulate in your mind, especially during the first 10 minutes of the film. Sandler's character, Dave Buznik, is completely unappreciated by his boss. His childhood never instilled any sense of confidence. And while he has a loving and supportive girlfriend (Marisa Tomei), Dave's defensive mechanisms shut him tighter than a clam.
But the potential for a really interesting film fizzles out fairly quickly when during an early sequence, Dave unwittingly gets tangled in a misunderstanding aboard an airplane. Through a sequence that is both bizarre and silly, he winds up in court and is ineptly defended by his lawyer (Saturday Night Live buddy Kevin Nielen). The verdict: Dave needs to have anger management therapy to be headed by guru Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson). What Dave soon finds out is that the doctor may be insane, a genius, or both.
Their doctor-patient relationship leads to the kinds of silly scenes to which Sandler fans are more accustomed than Nicholson fans, such as Dave's anger management classmates who are lesbian porn stars that possess a wisdom that rivals fortune cookie messages or the episode with a drag queen. But there are genuinely funny moments such as when they have an impromptu session in their car on a major NYC bridge crossing as they sing a selection from West Side Story. And, it's kind of funny when the two enter a monastery to exact revenge on a monk.
However, where "Anger Management" fails is in its execution. There is a noticeable sense of immaturity as far as the overall film goes. The story flows like a roller coaster ride. It quickly bounces from inane to funny to cloying to downright interesting. At one point, we're becoming curious about the therapy techniques. Then we see the two adult actresses sucking each other's fingers. Then it's our hero wandering the infield of Yankee stadium like a lost pet looking for his love. In the end, you'll eventually feel that the much of what occurs is overly and needlessly elaborate. It's a swirling maelstrom of highs and lows. While having its share of funny moments, "Anger Management" comes across as a predictable exercise for Sandler fans and a somewhat disappointing exercise for Nicholson fans.
Grade: C+
S: 1 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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