Jack and Jill
Director: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
*
"Gender-bending" in comedy is always a tricky pursuit for any comedian – for every hit such as Mrs Doubtfire, there's a miss like Norbit. Sandler is the latest to don a skirt and make-up as he plays both title characters in Jack and Jill, where the businessman Jack's seemingly idyllic life with his wife Erin (a bemused Holmes) and their children is brought to a halt by the arrival of his loud, confrontational twin sister Jill for the holidays. While this would be a poor set-up for any movie, Jack and Jill relies on the flawed premise of Sandler playing his own sister for most of its comedy, making for an agonising 90 minutes as jokes collapse before your very eyes. While a benign, plodding story has been a familiar hallmark of many of Sandler's recent efforts, the addition of Jill – more an obnoxious punch line than a developed character – asks too much of even his most loyal supporters. A small mercy is Pacino, who is sporadically amusing and gives his all (particularly towards the calamitous climax) as Jill's potential suitor, but this is small comfort in a film that may be remembered as one of the worst of the Wedding Singer actor's career.
artslife@thenational.ae
