Anger Management
2003 · Directed by Peter Segal
Original language: English
- comedy
The story
After a small misunderstanding aboard an airplane escalates out of control, timid businessman Dave Buznik is ordered by the court to undergo anger management therapy at the hands of specialist Dr. Buddy Rydell. But when Buddy steps up his aggressive treatment by moving in, Dave goes from mild to wild as the unorthodox treatment wreaks havoc with his life.
What it’s like
Bright, flat studio light and bustling New York street scenes with a warm, slightly glossy 2000s digital finish, the kind of comedy that lives in tight two-shots and reaction close-ups. Its palette is commercial and sunny: office beiges, airline-cabin blues, Brooklyn apartment clutter, and the occasional stylised flash of comic chaos. The score is a bouncy, upbeat pop-orchestral mix that keeps the energy high, with plenty of sudden musical stings for pratfalls. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with set-piece scenes that snowball from small irritations into full-blown farce. Its tone is joyous and mischievous, a wry, low-stakes riot rather than anything dark. Intensity is moderate: there is slapstick physical comedy, shouting, some crude jokes and sexual innuendo, and a few brief fights and scuffles played for laughs, with no gore and no real cruelty. The emotional arc follows a mild, anxious man slowly loosening up and learning to stand his ground. It suits a rainy Sunday, a lighthearted comfort rewatch, or a group movie night, and is for people who want big, friendly laughs and an easy-to-follow comedic caper.
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