Friendship conquers despair

Adam Sandler shines in this tale of one man's tremendous struggle to face the reality of losing his family in the tragic events of 9/11 in New York.

In the years after the event he becomes a recluse even shunning his deceased wife's family & trying to hide from his memories & feelings much too painful to believe happened & to confront.

A chance encounter with an old friend (Cheadle) opens the door to the possibility of an alternative life.

Some funny moments along the way but don't hire this film thinking it's typical Sandler comedy, it's not, & I hope we see more screenplays like this in the future for Mr Sandler.

The story explores the friendship between Cheadle & Sandler, the darkness surrounding mental health issues, a court case and Cheadle's unhappiness at work with colleagues & his patients and the undercurrent of discontentment within his own marriage.

Stark contrasts are drawn between a man who appears to have lost everything and with his friend who appears to have so much, but is still restless.

Not a completely miserable heavy film though, and it keeps moving along at a reasonable pace.

Definitely one I can recommend despite Adam Sandler looking decidedly like Bob Dylan in this role.