Trailing Off: "The Cobbler" (2014)

Adam Sandler

Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.

Trailer in Discussion

Directed By: Thomas McCarthy

Written By: Thomas McCarthy, Paul Sado

Starring: Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi, Dan Stevens

- Preamble -

For a lot of people, the prospect of a new Adam Sandler movie is a thing of dread. With each progressing year, it seems like he becomes more and more hated with lowbrow fare that is too juvenile to be interesting. In some cases, he even gets accused of making films just so he can go on vacations. He is notorious for being lazy in ways that are both warranted and sadly work below his potential. For many, he will never be redeemable while others still hold out hope that he may be able to make more films that actually will matter and actually be... good.

Here's the reasoning behind that. It all started with Punch Drunk Love, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. In that weird little film, he proved that he had dramatic chops and was able to do something different. This continued with Spanglish, Reign Over Me and Funny People. While some will contest the latter two, it reflected that the performer was capable of something beyond goofs and yuck yucks. It is why some keep holding out hope despite there being a catalog of mediocrity in between. In fact, some even considered Men Women & Children to be a potential return to form. While it is more of a dramatic comedy by director Jason Reitman, it didn't necessarily take the world by storm in the right ways.

Then there's director Thomas McCarthy's latest The Cobbler. For those who don't know, he is a really good indie director whose past films include the enjoyable wrestling comedy Win Win and he is one of the three writers of Up. He has some pedigree behind him and an interesting career as a director to date. His films are a little too understated to fall into the typical Sandler traps that he is known for. With that said, this project has been much discussed, as it could be the move that we have been waiting for even more-so than Men Women & Children. While it has premiered for critics, the general buzz has been lukewarm.

Still, I am curious to see if this Sandler can pull it off, especially since the plot is rather simple and has some weight with McCarthy's hands. As someone who enjoys the underappreciated Funny People, I feel like there's still an ounce of talent in Sandler that can strive for something that is funny while nuanced. Maybe it won't be the greatest, but also as a fan of Win Win, I have little doubt that this will just turn into a Billy Madison issue with him becoming the buffoon. We'll just have to wait and seen.

- Dissection -

For starters, it doesn't quite look like the stereotypical drama. In fact, it looks more comedic with twinges of metaphor scattered throughout. The film follows Sandler as a man who fixes shoes for a living. When he tries them on, he becomes other people. The premise itself is a little too ridiculous that unless the execution is done just right, it will be hard to really go for this. At best, it is interesting to see Sandler being in a film that asks for a rather high concept. As it stands, there isn't anything that necessarily will distract audiences who go to his more successful comedies that have made hundreds of millions. It may not be as juvenile, but it still has the absurdity levels that draw people.
There isn't much to actually dissect in this particular trailer because it really is just a film that can go either way. If we don't believe the supernatural aspect of the film, which seems arbitrary in the trailer, then there's no way that the rest of the humor works. At best, we can review the reaction shots that features Sandler entering shock as he tries on the different pairs of shoes and begins to infiltrate other people's lives. It seems too goofy to really get hung up on for this particular section.
However, there's a lot of charm in how it is done. There isn't any crude or off color remark that would be seen in another Sandler trailer. What is here seems to be wholesome and full of potential. Speaking as I trust the man who wrote Up to deliver a solid allegory about living other people's lives, I am already on board with the film. However, the trailer manages to make me care more about the film just by allowing the nuances to play out and make me wonder what is going to happen next. To say the least, I come away wanting to see. Even if it isn't on par with other trailers for indie films, it does manage to make a Sandler film seem very appealing at the end of the day.

- One Sentence Sell -

Adam Sandler walks a mile in other people's shoes in a compelling new comedy from the writer of Up.

- Trash or Trove -

TROVE

It may not be the greatest trailer out there, but considering how much of a beating Sandler gets from almost everyone the rest of the time, this actually looks promising. I am curious to see if the execution works, or if we're just being swindled into seeing another average film from him that won't live up to whatever hype it doesn't have. I like the premise. Still, this has made it jump from a cable showing to a potential matinee selection.