Adam can act

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2011)

It's not the typical Adam Sandler movie and thank goodness for that. This movie has some actual drama, some real heart to it. It's not all lowbrow toilet humor. Has Adam Sandler grown up? Even in this more grownup venture he apparently just couldn't help himself, tossing in the obligatory disgusting fart joke. But we'll give him a a pass on that one because pretty much everything else in the movie shows a refreshing maturity. Well, OK maybe not the humping dogs. But what do you want? Sandler's never going to go full-blown serious dramatist and who'd want him to? This movie maintains the humor Sandler is known for but also gives you a story you actually care about and moments of great emotion and poignancy. Along the way Sandler gets to show that he does have some actual serious acting chops. One scene with him and his father, played by Henry Winkler, particularly stands out. Here Sandler's character has so much emotion coursing through him. And Sandler performs the scene so well you feel the emotion right along with him. Very well done, and more than a little surprising from an actor who is not known for this sort of thing.
The story revolves around Sandler's character of Michael, an overworked architect whose family takes a backseat in his quest for career advancement. He loves his family, he just doesn't have the time for them. Then he meets Morty, a mysterious man who bestows upon Michael a gift which will make things so much simpler. It's a universal remote which actually control's Michael's universe. Now he's got all the time he needs. He can pause, rewind, fast forward. But inevitably there will be complications. Michael ends up fast forwarding through his whole life. He misses everything. And he gets really, really fat. It seems in order to really appreciate life Michael had to miss it. Can he get it back? According to Morty that's not part of the deal.
Those expecting a straight comedy are going to be very surprised with Click, but probably pleasantly so. There are plenty of laughs but nothing that's really uproariously funny. And most of the comedy is shoehorned into the first half of the film. The second half takes on a more serious, at times even somber, tone. A somber Adam Sandler movie? Who wants to watch that? You should. Sandler breaks out of the little box that is his admittedly wildly successful career to try something a little bit different and it pays off. Sandler is really terrific in this. And he's got great support from the rest of the cast, most notably the always reliably brilliant Christopher Walken playing the eccentric Morty. Not everything in the movie works perfectly. Some jokes fall flat, some dramatic moments don't grab you quite as much as they should. But most of it works, and works very well at that. Adam Sandler can make you laugh. Turns out he can tug on your heartstrings too. Who knew?