The Cobbler

Courtesy of Image Entertainment, Golden Spike, Next Wednesday, and Voltage

When I saw the first trailer for this film I was actually quite impressed. The concept looked visually appealing and seemed to deal with questions of morality in an intelligent way. Even some of the gags in the trailer gave me a little chuckle. Shortly after I stumbled upon the trailer, I found out that the film had been yanked from theaters, and given immediate VOD release in September of last year. This is nothing new in a spiking trend of Adam Sandler bombs and missteps, but unlike "The Interview" this film stayed buried.

 Director Thomas McCarthy has made some honorable mentions in the past, including "The Station Agent," and "Win Win." That prowess actually shows in the look and feel of the film. It's shot well, the score is great, the mechanics of the premise rely on Jewish folklore and mythology, which is highly respected throughout the film and grants a thematic grace to the whole thing. When the film is trying to be charmingly cavalier it’s at its best. Sandler gives a subdued but charming performance as the cobbler, as he tries his to keep family’s tradition alive, and grant last wishes to his ailing mother.

 For many people "The Cobbler" goes off the rails when it starts in with Method Man's character, Leon. Instead of focusing on the Lower East Side's problems with gentrification, most of the film follows Max (Sandler) as he uses the powers for his own greed. There's this entire caper narrative that takes away from the plot, seems out of character for Max, and drags the film down. It's also upsetting to note that every time Max commits a crime in a guise it's of an African American male.

 The very end ties into the rest of the film in a dissatisfying, inept way that makes you shake your head in disappointment. Obviously there was some meddling by either Sandler or the studio, which changed this film in some way. There's no way something this disjointed and strange could happen otherwise. While it's definitely not the worst film he has ever made, this is the biggest box office flop for Sandler, with an opening weekend of $24, 000. Hopefully more studios will follow the lead and not reward bad movies with big opening weekends.