Last night I had the pleasure of watching Adam Sandler's latest venture- "Jack & Jill" where he plays both the character Jack and his own twin sister Jill (in drag of course). As in many of Sandler's film- you must endure a wide variety of flatulence/fart jokes- nothing like relying on the lowest common denominator- which is fine if your demographic is 12 year old boys... but this film does have more substance than other Sandler films. Forinstance- Sandler's film "Grownups" was an absolutely nightmare with one fart joke after another- with very little substance at all. On the other hand- "Spanglish"- perhaps one of Sandler's best films- did not have one low-brow joke in it- so I went into Jack & Jill with hopeful expectations...
Thankfully- Jack & Jill did raise the bar. The children in the cast steal just about every scene they're in. Katie Holmes did a fine job as Jack's wife trying to keep the peace. I loved watching Al Pacino venture into a comedic role. Pacino has a natural presence and great comedic timing and he was a delight to watch- playing a "self-absorbed" version of himself while trying to woo Jill....I loved that Pacino could poke fun at himself and hearing him sing a few bars of a Broadway show tune had me swooning in delight. :-) Many SNL alumni appear in this film and David Spade really sent it out of the park- he had me laughing out loud!
Be for-warned, there was a good deal of sexist humor, racial humor, and bodily function humor. If this sort of thing offends you- then perhaps you should avoid this film. I personally think this kind of humor can be entertaining as long as it's done with a bit of restraint and as long as there is an underlying thread of good will. There's a charming song called "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" from the Broadway Musical "Avenue Q." The character Jill has definitely had a more sheltered life than her brother- so racist comments tend to come flying out of her mouth. However, no one is actually offended by Jill because her comments are clearly meant in good will and are a result of her naivete and that no one is actually offended by her remarks- it is very funny. Of course, her brother Jack is angered/mortified/etc- but that is a big part of the fun!
I actually liked Sandler's portrayal of Jill. His female mannerisms were spot on and while he does not make the most attractive lady- he is definitely likable and endearing. Once you get over the obvious "ugly" jokes- you find that there is a inner light to this lady and you feel sad that her quest for love and acceptance has been a tough road- while her brother Jack seems to have had it much easier his entire life. And while the two siblings argue and fuss- you see how the sibling bond over-rides all obstacles.
Kinda makes me wish I had a twin!
During this movie I snacked on popcorn and Sierra Mist. (Boring! I gotta step up my snacks!)
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