The Cobbler

cc

in Hindi

The common argument nowadays is that Adam Sandler follows his past formula too closely. The comedic formula he championed in films like "Happy Gilmore" and "Big Daddy" has become bland in newer films such as "Grown Ups 2" and the horrid "Jack and Jill." Most critics suggest that he try new things, work for different directors, and focus on acting instead of having complete control over his films. I mostly agree with this, but with "The Cobbler," Sandler has followed all of these suggestions and still failed to hit the mark. "The Cobbler," directed by Thomas McCarthy, follows Max, a shoemaker and repairman (hence the title) who lives a boring and undesirable life until he finds an old spinning machine with a special quality. When Max wears shoes that he repairs with the machine, he takes on the physical identity of the owners of the shoes. Sounds interesting, right? Unfortunately, the idea is not well executed and the plot seems like a mindless wonder for a very long hour and a half. The plot here is practically non-existent. We watch Max parade around as other people for most of the film, then McCarthy attempts to create a storyline, involving gangsters and crooked rich people, in the last thirty minutes. Unfortunately, he tries too hard and it occurs too little too late. The film is promoted as a comedy, but I can't recall chuckling or finding any part of the film humorous at all. The film starts as an attempt of a drama, then becomes a fantasy, then a caper/crime film, and then finally (and you won't believe it) a superhero film. The film does not know where it wants to go, probably because it does not seem to be going anywhere. The topic on everybody's mind with the release of this film is simple: how is Adam Sandler? Well, he is not "bad" by any means. It seems as though he was trying to recreate his brilliant performance in "Punch-Drunk Love," but he cannot seem to find the same conviction in this one. His performance seems real for the most part, but there are often moments when he looks just as bored as I was. It's hard to blame him too much with the content he was given--his character is pretty hard to like for most of the picture--but the film would benefit from a little more energy in his performance. Dustin Hoffman recently stated that film is the worst it has ever been at this moment. Whether he is right is debatable, but I can understand how he feels this way after starring in one of the worst films of recent memory. Of course, he is not to blame, and this time, neither is Sandler. What floors me is how a director like McCarthy, who has been so highly praised after his first few pictures, can deliver a film like this. The premise caught my interest, but the product failed to deliver. To be frankly honest, "The Cobbler" is a narrative mess.

Yes, this wasn't Adam Sandler's typical work, it had very subtle comedic undertones, and it missed out on potential "laugh out loud" moments, but what it brings to the table was something I honestly didn't know I was craving. What starts out as a slow and soggy beginning, gradually turns into something fresh and light hearted that I really enjoyed. If you were expecting the slap-your-knee comedy you are used to, this may not be for you, but if you are ready to see some just good quality acting, than this movie is just the ticket. It's always welcoming to have a movie take what seems like everyday life and introduce a touch of "what if" magic to the mundane, and I think this movie hits that mark perfectly. It wasn't over the top, it didn't try to hard, and it takes a concept that we take for granted and introduces it to us in a very kind way.

This movie is bad in every aspect. Bad acting, bad script, all the story is a mess but it is very predictable. I like a lot of Adam's movies, but this one is another fail for him. His acting is really bad, a lot of his actions are illogical and unreal. The trailer make this movie looks better than it really is. It has mild nudity, some blood and crimes so it is not a family movie in any aspect. The story starts good, it had potential but they didn't approached the story very well, this movie is a failure since the script and some bad acting is just the bonus. If you cut like half an hour of the movie it could have been better. My recommendation is (if you want to watch it) to watch when you don't have any other thing to watch and wasting the less amount of money possible by doing so.

I'll start off this review by saying this is without a doubt one of the strangest films I've ever seen. I had actually been looking forward to it because McCarthy's past films have been good and it was nice to see Sandler in a different type of film. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't good either. I really have no clue what McCarthy was going for here. The film starts off as an old-fashioned comedy with some drama thrown in, but it eventually becomes jumbled in a bunch of subplots that involve saving the neighborhood a murder plot involving gangsters. Parts of it get a bit dark and surprisingly violent for a PG-13. It's a mix of a dramedy, fantasy comedy, and crime thriller that never mash together leading to the film having a major identity crisis. I think some people are pinning it on Sandler being the problem here, but he is actually decent in his role. Although, I found it strange that they chose to show the other actors in the roles of the side characters when Sandler is "in their shoes". It would have been funnier and much more enjoyable if it had been done the other way around. Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman also appear briefly in the film, but neither of them are giving much to do. The main reason why the film fails is because of it's script. As previously mentioned, the film is an uneven mess. McCarthy and Paul Sado are the only writers, but it feels like they had several people write various subplots that were all mashed together. This could have easily been a PG-rated family film if it hadn't been for brief moments of unnecessary nudity and violence that don't serve any purpose. Aside from the unevenness of the whole film, the writing itself is pretty poor. Some of the dialogue is laughably awful and incredibly forced, most of which comes from Melonie Diaz and Method Man's characters. With that said, none of the dialogue is clever or good, but some of the more established actors such as Sandler and Steve Buscemi. There is a point where it seems like the film could take a route of having a message about the way a community interacts with one another, but nothing ever comes of it resulting in a rather predictable story in which the twist can be solved about halfway through. Despite all of it's missteps, The Cobbler does have a few factors that keep it from being a complete disaster. Sandler himself does a decent job in the lead role. It's not a particularity memorable one despite going out of his comfort zone, but he fits the role and uses that to his advantage. Despite being wasted, the film does feature a great cast including Steve Buscemi, Dustin Hoffman, and Dan Stevens who while given little to do, are nice to see on screen. Even though the story itself is pretty predictable, I never found myself bored during the film's runtime. I'm not sure if it's because of how bizarrely awful some of it is, but the strangeness of the whole thing is enough to keep you amused just to see where it will end up next. Even though I didn't laugh once throughout the entire film, there are some occasional chuckle worthy moments such as a montage early on of Sandler discovering his new ability. After a long string of bad comedies, I was really hoping The Cobbler would be a step back in the right director for Sandler. Unfortunately, it ends up being a bigger misstep for director Thomas McCarthy. There was potential for this to be something noteworthy for the two of them. Instead, it's cluttered mess of a film that's almost admirable in how bizarre it is. The Cobbler is no Jack & Jill by any means, but it certainly isn't going to do an favors for Sandler's career either.

I am glad I ignored the bad reviews from users and critics and watched this movie. I didn't have any expectations when I rented it, but was merely in the mood for a comedy that would take my mind off of a hectic day. Luckily, The Cobbler fit the bill. It was funny, charming, clever and overall very entertaining. The premise of the movie was unique and intriguing, and I enjoyed the plot twists and fantasy moments alike. Adam Sandler was in great form, and the entire supporting cast made the movie work like a well oiled machine (pun intended). I didn't find the characters played by Adam Sandler offensive or distasteful, and there were some real laugh out loud moments. Of course, there were plenty of moments full of genuine sentiment, with lots of lessons to be learned. This is the kind of movie I want in my permanent collection, and if there is going to be a sequel, I can't wait to see it.

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