Reign Over Me Details

Reign Over Me

'A comedian at the Oscars, The saddest man of all' sang Will Ferrel at this year's Oscars and next year I fear we may once again see an example of this when Adam Sandler fails to get a deserved nomination for Reign Over Me.

Don Cheadle plays Alan, an uptight dentist who doesn't really enjoy his life. His wife is domineering and his work partners treat him with no respect. One day he bumps into his college roommate Charlie (Sandler) whose family were killed on 9/11. Charlie cannot deal with his loss and has lost touch with the world. Alan and Charlie begin to hang out again and slowly help each other with their problems.

This is Sandler back in Punch Drunk Love territory. Whilst PDL relied in some ways on Sandlers penchant for anger, this performance is more reserved. This makes the moments when he does lose it all the more powerful. Cheadle does an admirable job in supporting Sandler and the rest of the cast, including Liv Tyler, Jada Pinkett Smith and Saffron Burrows, all give good performances. But this is the Sandler show.

It is a very good film, not to emotional and with some geniunely funny moments. Plus the soundtrack is one for Springsteen fans, with The River album being an instrinsic part of the plot.

If you are expecting the Adam Sandler of Happy Gilmore you may be disappointed, but if you like good, thought-provoking films then this one is for you.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Funny and sad, silly and wise- a masterpiece.

Alan, successful but restless, encounters his college room-mate Charlie whose wife and daughters died in the 9/11 atrocity. Charlie is a case study in PTSD, completely unable to come to terms with his loss and barely functioning from day to day, and Alan resolves to help him.

Where do I start?

The word comedy can be terribly abused when used as a prefix, as in comedy-thriller, often meaning “not very good”- an excuse in fact and it doesn't always bode well for the comedy side of the equation either. For that reason alone I hesitate to call this a comedy-drama- the drama takes precedence over the comedy but both are developed from character which is as it should be. A drama-comedy then- rich in both elements with neither cheapened by the other in a film which is serious without being po-faced. I laughed often, smiled much and, if I didn't actually burst into tears at any point, I did wipe my eyes and clear my throat occasionally- in a gruff, manly way you understand.

Both Alan (Don Cheadle) and Charlie (Adam Sandler) are in a rut. Alan feels hemmed in by his family and unsupported by the partners in his dental practice when he faces a sexual harassment accusation from a patient while Charlie's rut is the excuse he need to hide from the tragedy that haunts his every waking moment. Finding his refuge in computer games, a record collection and an endless project to remodel his kitchen Charlie reacts with terror and even violence to any reminder of his family but can accept Alan because their time together pre-dates his heart-ache. Their renewed friendship has a good influence, it's the catalyst they both need to develop with Alan loosening up and Charlie beginning to acknowledge that he needs help though not without cost.

Cheadle is quietly excellent as one has come to expect though he gets a splendid grandstanding moment confronting his partners. I thought Punch Drunk Love too wilfully eccentric to accept as a serious acting gig for Sandler but he is a revelation here. The scene when he finally starts to open up about his family is heart-rending and I hope to see it used on Oscar night to illustrate his nomination for best supporting actor. A later, quieter moment with his in-laws after things have come to a head speaks volumes about his character's progress. Huge credit is due to writer-director Mike Binder whose script has hardly a word out of place, its use of the 9/11 attack being neither exploitative nor sensational. He directs with a great sense of place (helped by beautifully detailed photography) and, of course, draws fine performances from his cast- even Saffron Burrows who can be terrible.

My mother worked in mental health for many years, including caring for ex-servicemen and in grief counselling. She's a great one for picking fictional cases apart but couldn't fault Reign Over Me. I thought it quietly astonishing and recommend it unreservedly.

Extras are piffling apart from a brief interview with Binder.

Yeah- that's a start...