The Cobbler - C

Adam Sandler

Rated PG-13, 99 minutes
Wes's Grade: C

Wistful but wobbly comedy fantasy "The Cobbler" lacks focus and footing

The old saying goes, you never really know a person until you walk in their shoes, which is the premise of the intriguing but unfocused and wobbly new comedy fantasy "The Cobbler" which isn't the same low-brow stuff you'll typically find from its lead actor. Max Simkin (Adam Sandler) repairs shoes in the same New York shop that has been in his family for generations. Disenchanted with the grind of daily life, Max stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. Sometimes walking in another man's shoes is the only way to discover who you really are. Directed and co-written by actor Thomas McCarthy, whose done better with such films as the Oscar-nominated "The Visitor," "The Cobbler" is a nice change of pace for Sandler's dumb, mindless stuff, but it's still not all that good, though he can't be blamed for all of it. McCarthy's sluggish script and episodic tone never really gel in spite of a talented cast and a few wistful moments; one of Sandler's frequent co-stars, Steve Buscemi, is fun as one of his fellow small business owner, while Dan Stevens,  Method Man and Ellen Barkin are among the folks whose lives Max experiences by walking a little in their shoes, while Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman has a very brief cameo in one of the movie's better moments. "The Cobbler" seems intent on finding the fun and fantasy from putting on different people's shoes and never really providing any depth or meaning to the story as a whole, losing some of its footing especially in its unfocused second act. The sweet "The Cobbler" isn't terrible and is a slight improvement over much of Sandler's stuff, and he is good as the New York schlub who gets to have fun in other's people's shoes, but there doesn't seem much to it. Plus, I really wouldn't want to walk in everyone's shoes, as it's just unsanitary and unsafe. On that note, it may be best to just skip "The Cobbler" though Sandler should be commended for trying something different.