Reign Over Me (2007) User Reviews

Powerful when it's being original

[tyler-92 · 8/10 · 13 March 2007]

I just got back from a screening a couple of hours ago, and I was very happy with the movie when I left it. It's very intense, and the closest I've come to crying in a movie in quite some time. That is a credit to Adam Sandler, who delivers a magnificent performance on many levels, and who probably deserves an Oscar nom for it, were it not coming out so early in the year. Don Cheadle gives his usual superb performance playing the straight man to Adam's disturbed.

There is some humor, but most of it is really only funny in comparison to the tearjerking moments, as Adam deals with his loss and Don struggles to help him. Adam plays two levels very well... when he is mentally stable he is funny and likable, but when he is, well, less stable he's powerful and dark.

I recommend it for anyone who likes intense mental dramas about difficult friendship and loss.

Good flick

[xander34 · 8/10 · 27 March 2007]

Reign Over Me is a success due to the powerful work by Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. While comedic actors going dramatic has been seen as somewhat of a distraction, Sandler is no stranger to playing more serious roles. Most of the characters he portrays have an unstable temperament and a vulnerability that can burst at any moment. He might even be typecast for characters with such hidden anger problems. However, this performance has some considerable dramatic weight, unlike his roles in less comedic fare like Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish.

In the film, Alan Johnson (Cheadle) runs into his old college roommate, Charlie Finerman (Sandler), whom he hasn't seen in several years. Five years before, Charlie suffered the overwhelming loss of his wife and three daughters in a plane crash. Charlie barely even recognizes Cheadle's character due to the repression of his memories and consequent reclusive childish lifestyle since the accident. It isn't until Alan persists in engaging him in conversation that Charlie remembers who he is. Their renewed relationship that follows will allow Finerman to have a friend who doesn't speak about his loss, eventually enabling him to confront the thoughts and feelings he has suppressed on his own terms.

Though writer-director Mike Binder doesn't show much sense of an individual style and some of his shots and transitions are a bit awkward, he does have a knack of getting decent to great performances from his actors while being a talented and funny writer. He shot this film with a digital camera, as more and more filmmakers are doing today, enabling the crew to shoot the night scenes with limited lighting. This kept the colorful backgrounds of New York City in focus, but resulted in creating frequent digital grain, which resembles blue specks scattered and moving on the screen.

Almost every main character in Reign Over Me gives a great performance. Jada-Pinkett Smith and especially Liv Tyler are memorable in their respective roles as a frustrated wife to Cheadle's character and a psychiatrist. However, it is Sandler and Cheadle that give some of their finest work to date. They completely owned this movie. Sandler actually plays a character that doesn't outwardly resemble or act like himself at all, partially credited to his Bob Dylan-esquire wig. Though Cheadle's character has more screen time than Sandler, they both should be considered to be leading roles, as they equally support and help each other throughout the film.

Music also plays a great part in this film, especially the title song "Reign Over Me," or "Love, Reign O'er Me" by The Who, and later covered by Pearl Jam. In one of the most powerful moments of the film, Binder shows Sandler using music to shut out his feelings and memories, but this particular song provokes such intense emotion that rather than diminishing his anger, it incites his emotions. All an all, Reign Over Me is an enjoyable, sad, yet many times funny film, driven by its amazing leading performances.

An Interesting Role

[shizzoop · 8/10 · 27 March 2007]

The feel of this movie was amazing. Adam Sandler's performance was very inspiring. As he played a very rattled and fragile character, he took his ability to the very edge and really worked the role. His character was really interesting. I can see myself reading the script for this movie and not being half as interested in the part as Sandler made me. For someone who plays primarily comedy roles, he pulled off a serious role with what seemed to be his own quirks and input. I especially loved the scene in which Adam and Don's characters rode the motorized scooter around the city. I familiarized with the moment, because it seemed like Don was witnessing one thing Adam does to get away from it all. With his video games, music, and many other things he does to keep him from thinking about the past, riding his scooter with his headphones on seemed like an escape from his thoughts. This movie is definitely worth the watch.

If you aren't moved....check your pulse.

[Irishinvazion · 9/10 · 24 March 2007]

It's not very often a movie can literally make the entire audience laugh, and five minutes later fill their eyes with tears. Many movies try to do this, but few can deliver the emotional impact that this film did. Adam Sandler practically drags you in with his heated and often violent outbursts, but also makes you laugh when the shadow of his past isn't pulling him down. I'm not going to ruin anything, but there is one scene in particular that should have your eyes watering and lip quivering. Even the most macho of men would have to be heartless bastards to not feel something while watching this movie. Don Cheadle gives another great performance, but is out-shined by Sandler. Liv Tyler and Jada Pinkett Smith give solid performances, but nothing in the line of the two leading roles. Sandler's humor is still present, which actually saved this film from being border-line depressing. There are several laughs to be had, but don't think you will stay there long, because it gets serious again without much warning.

I could go on and on about how well this movie hit on just about every emotion the human body contains, but I will cut this one short. I feel there is no need to tell you anything more. Do yourself a favor and take the time to see this movie. Even if you have to wait until it comes out on DVD, it's 100% worth the time. A deeply moving film sure to put tears in your eyes and a smile on your face...unless of course...you are a heartless soul.

Remarkable film about Grief, Family, and Friendship

[JustCuriosity · 9/10 · 15 March 2007]

This film screened last night at Austin's Paramount theater as part of the SXSW Film Festival. We were graced with the presence of director Mike Binder and stars Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle who took audience questions after the film. It is a remarkable and powerful film about what it is like to lose yourself and begin to find your way back. The performances are phenomenal and the story manages to be both tragic and funny in a way that is all too rare. (The trailer for the film tries a little too hard to emphasize the comedic aspects.)

This is a breakout role for Adam Sandler. While he has begun to transition to more dramatic roles with Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish, this role is a significant step forward for him as a dramatic actor. He deserves an Oscar nomination as he continues down to transition to more dramatic roles as Tom Hanks did and Jim Carrey is also doing. In this role, he seemed to be trying to channel Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. Although playing an autistic man is certainly very different than Sandler's traumatized character, both characters for different reasons are trapped in their own worlds of child-like isolation and confusion.

Don Cheadle's performance is less surprising, but just as good. After Hotel Rwanda and Crash, we've come to expect remarkable nuanced performances from Cheadle. He has the qualities of sincerity and honesty that comes through in this role. But he, too, is also broken and struggling if not in the such profound ways as Sandler's character. Cheadle is struggling with difficulties in both his marriage and in his professional life as a dentist. Together the characters played by Cheadle and Sandler struggle to heal each other in the way that true friends often do (in a way that reminds me of Matt Damon and Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting). They are both searching for that part of the themselves that they have lost and trying to find again.

Reign over Me is one of the best major studio films to be released this year. The soundtrack, which is almost another character in the plot is wonderful. The filming in the streets of New York - a city that suffered a great tragedy and has also had to heal itself - is also quite beautiful. The supporting roles by Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows (in a very odd role), Donald Sutherland, and Mike Binder himself are all quite good.

Writer/Director Mike Binder has really delivered a story that so many will be able to connect with on numerous levels. This is a story about grief, family, healing, male friendship, mental health, and the meaning of love. Reign over Me does not disappoint. The film is almost hypnotic as it draws you into the lives of its characters. Hollywood would have a much better reputation if it made more character-driven charming films like Reign over Me.

Stop Your Sobbin'

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 23 March 2007]

Greetings again from the darkness. How rare it is for a film to examine the lost soul of men in pain. Adam Sandler stars as Charlie, a man who lost his family in the 9/11 tragedy, and has since lost his career, his reason to live and arguably, his sanity. Don Cheadle co-stars as Sandler's former Dental School roommate who appears to have the perfect life (that Sandler apparently had prior to 9/11).

Of course the parallels in these men's lives are obvious, but it is actually refreshing to see men's feelings on display in a movie ... feelings other than lust and revenge, that is. Watching how they actually help each other by just being there is painful and heartfelt. Writer/Director Mike Binder ("The Upside of Anger", and Sandler's accountant in this film) really brings a different look and feel to the film. Some of the scenes don't work as well as others, but overall it is well written and solidly directed.

Sandler and Cheadle are both excellent. Sandler's character reminds a bit of his fine performance in "Punch Drunk Love", but here he brings much more depth. Cheadle is always fine and does a nice job of expressing the burden he carries ... just by watching him work a jigsaw puzzle.

Support work is excellent by Jada Pinkett Smith (as Cheadle's wife), Liv Tyler (as a very patient psychiatrist), Saffron Burrows (in an oddly appealing role), Donald Sutherland as an irritated judge and Melinda Dillon and Robert Klein as Sandler's in-laws.

The film really touches on how the tragic events of that day affected one man so deeply that he is basically ruined. In addition to the interesting story and some great shots of NYC, you have to love any film that features vocals from Chrissy Hynde, Bruce Springsteen and Roger Daltrey ... as well as Eddie Vedder impersonating Daltrey. Not exactly a chipper upbeat film, but it is a quality film with an unusual story.

Can we get Chinese now? Reign Over Me

[jaredmobarak · 9/10 · 24 March 2007]

Love hurts. That, I think, is the main message Mike Binder's newest film Reign Over Me brings across. Whether that love has caused your relationship to become stagnant, or has brought anger from the one you love cheating for years, or has broken your heart to the point of being unable to open yourself up to the world, love hurts. The great thing about this film, however, is not in its portrayal of these lost souls trying to let their past heartbreaks go, but in the eventual restart of new bonds for the future. No one in this drama is perfect; they are all at some degree trapped emotionally in relationships that they can't free themselves from alone. There is some heavy subject material here and I credit Binder for never making the story turn into a political diatribe, but instead infusing the serious moments with some real nice comedic bits allowing the tale to stay character-based and small in scale compared to the epic event that looms overhead. What could have become a trite vehicle for opinions on how 9-11 effected us all, ends up being a story about two men and a connection they share that is the only thing which can save their lives from a life of depression and regret.

This is a new career performance for Adam Sandler. I like to think that my favorite director Paul Thomas Anderson was the first to see the childish, pent-up anger in his stupid comedies as something to use dramatically. The juvenility of a character like Billy Madison allows for laughs and potty humor, but also can be used to show a repressed man, shy and shutout to the world around him—a man with no confidence that needs an event of compassion to break him from his shell. Anderson let Sandler do just that in his masterpiece Punch-Drunk Love and Mike Binder has taken it one step further. Sandler plays former dentist Charlie Fineman whose wife and three kids were killed in one of the planes that took down the World Trade Center on 9-11. That one moment crushed any life that he had and as a result, he became reclusive and started to believe he couldn't remember anything that happened before that day. He really delivers a moving portrait of a man trying to keep up the charade in his head while those around him, those that love him, try and open him up to the reality of what happened and what the future holds. Always on edge and ready to snap at any moment when something is mentioned to spark the memory of his perished family, he goes through life with his iPod and headphones, shutting out everything so as not to be tempted remember.

Reign Over Me is not about Charlie Fineman though, it is about dentist and family man Alan Johnson. A man that has trapped himself into a marriage and dental practice that both have stagnated into monotony, Johnson needs as much help in his life as his old college roommate Charlie does. Played perfectly by the always brilliant Don Cheadle, Johnson has lost his backbone to try and change his life. He has no friends and when he sees Charlie, by chance, one day, his life evolves into something he hasn't felt in 15 years. He revels in the chance to go out with an old friend no matter how much he has changed from the death of his family. Cheadle's character wants to revert back to the college days of hanging out and Sandler's doesn't mind because all that was before he met his wife. The two men get what they want and allow themselves to grow close despite the years of solitude that used to rule their lives. Once they begin opening up though, it is inevitable that the subject of the tragedy will creep up and test the façade they have created for themselves.

The supporting cast does an amazing job helping keep up appearances for the two leads. Jada Pinkett Smith has never been an actress that impressed me and throughout the film played the tough as nails wife nicely, but it is her final scene on the phone with Cheadle that really showed me something different and true. Liv Tyler is a bit out of her element as a psychiatrist, but the movie calls her on this fact and makes the miscasting, perfect casting. The many small cameos are also effective, even writer/director Mike Binder's role as Sandler's old best friend and accountant, (my only gripe here is why he feels the need to put his name in the opening credits as an actor when it is everywhere, considering it is his film). Last but not least is the beautiful Saffron Burrows. She is a great actress and plays the love- crushed divorcée trying to put her life back together wonderfully. A role that seems comic relief at first, but ends up being an integral aspect for what is to come.

Binder has crafted one of the best dramatic character studies I have seen in a long time. The direction is almost flawless, (the blurring between cuts and characters in the fore/ background really annoyed me in the beginning), the acting superb, and the story true to itself, never taking the easy way out or wrapping itself up with a neatly tied bow at the conclusion. Even the music was fantastic and used to enhance, not to lead us emotionally, (why after two great uses of the titular song by The Who did Binder feel the need to use the inferior Eddie Veddar remake for the end, I don't know, but it did unfortunately stick out for me). Reign Over Me is a film about love and how although it can cause the worst pain imaginable, it can also save us from regret and allow us to once again see the world as a place of beauty and hope.

Reign Over You

[Chrysanthepop · 18 March 2008]

I would never have expected much from a film starring Adam Sandler, Saffron Burrows, Liv Tyler and Jada Pinkett Smitn. Not that they're bad actors by any means. It's just that I have hardly found any movie that centred around their characters interesting at all. This is Sandler's first dramatic performance I've seen (mind you, I have not seen 'Punch Drunk Love' yet). The addition of Don Cheadle makes a difference where expectations were concerned but it is Sandler who springs a surprise with a very effective performance of a former dentist suffering from a severe form of post-traumatic stress disorder while coping, or more correctly, not coping with the loss of his family and living in a self-imposed isolation. His nuanced performance is a combination of restraint and subtle comedy. There are moments when he 'explodes' but it applies well to the context and Sandler stays within character. This is not to say that Cheadle was less impressive. The reason why he's less surprising is that one can almost always expect a good performance from this actor. What makes 'Reign Over Me' work most is Sandler and Cheadle's on screen camaraderie as they share the right chemistry. Cheadle's character too is suffering a difficult marriage and complications at work and his reunion with Sandler's Charlie provides a form of escape but at the same time helps him to deal with his own problems. This way both friends gradually find that pieces of themselves which they have long lost. Liv Tyler does well as Alon's (confidant) friend. Jada Pinkett Smith is quite adequate. Saffron Burrows is weird in an odd role but her sequences do provide comic relief. Melinda Dillon has a small but complex role and she shines. I liked the soundtrack very much. Not only are the tracks impressive, it also gives a voice to New York (a city which suffered the same tragedy as Charlie) and flows brilliantly with the film. Binder's direction is solid for the most part. However, the inclusion of a courtroom sequence (including the whole Donald Sutherland track) seems forced and makes 'Reign Over Me' slightly clichéd. Perhaps this integral sequence could have been done a little different, without involving a courtroom. Nonetheless, 'Reign Over Me' has heart and it does tackle several different concepts in a subtle and suitable way. The way the comedy was wonderfully layered into the screenplay is quite an achievement for Binder. Strongly recommended.

Consequences of a Tragedy

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 1 January 2008]

In New York, the family man dentist Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) meets his former roommate and friend Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) by chance on the street. Charlie became a lonely and deranged man after the loss of his wife and three daughters in the tragic September 11th while Alan has problems to discuss his innermost feelings with his wife. Alan reties his friendship with Charlie and they become close to each other. Alan tries to fix Charlie's life, sending him to the psychologist Angela Oakhurst (Liv Tyler), but Charlie has an aggressive reaction to the treatment and is send to court.

"Reign Over Me" is a good drama about loss, friendship, family and loneliness. The September 11th is irrelevant to the plot; it could be a car accident, a fire or any other tragedy, as well as the sexual harassment of Donna Remar, played by the gorgeous Saffron Burrows, to Alan. But the family drama works, supported by the great performances of Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. Liv Tyler is quite impossible to be recognized, I do not know whether she is using excessive make-up to look older, but her face is weird. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Reine Sobre Mim" ("Reign Over Me")

Take a lesson from his movie

[eyezcwith · 10/10 · 23 March 2007]

Let me start by saying at the young age of 34 I was suddenly widowed. I was devastated as he was NOT sick--- he died unexpectedly basically of a coronary--- his carotids blew out-- he died behind our house. There was a lot of speculation from police, cause he fell on something and it bashed his head in. I was a suspect for murder until the autopsy came back.

My children were as traumatized as I was, so in love with a good father figure as he. I had three small children, no education, no financial support. I took it very, very hard.

Within two years my in-laws attacked me verbally, physically, emotionally and spiritually demanding I grieve not in front of the children, and put on masks and showed people what they wanted to see, not show them my pain during holidays... Nobody stood up for me and my choice to sit out one holiday, except of course, the grief therapist I was seeing that had advised me to follow my heart and soul. My in-laws didn't get it! It changed FOREVER my relationship with them, and I have never been back for a holiday. This is only one example of how my grief was disrespected! My own (new) husband has seen me fall apart talking about the trauma when I shared from my soul. I collapse, can not breathe, hyperventilate, and generally am defunct for a few days if I even try to convey the hidden pain.

Now about this movie...

Today, my soul was stirred, my heart broken. My fears and pain re-surfaced from the real demons this movie presents; how one grieves compared to how others expect us too and the demons within. Adam Sandler portrayed perfectly the horrendous agony you face, overcome and most of all, work through on your own time! This movie dredged up all the pain that I have tried over the years to deal with. You see, when something harms your soul so profoundly, so deep that utterances are all that come from your mouth in moments of thinking, you can not deal with it without wishing you were dead and walking through life, in a dead state.

The bible has a scripture, Romans 8:26 that I have clung to, that when my mouth and soul know not what to pray for, that God's Holy Spirit carries that agony to the feet of God-- I need not speak. Sandler portrayed that to perfection!

There is a scene where he has been hauled into a court hearing, for mental health commitment purposes, and he goes back in to face his in-laws--- (familiar to me)--- and he tells them the stunning truths that he has been possessed by, per Se, that he can't get over. It's a profoundly strong, and mighty performance. I started bawling and had a hard time after wards getting up to walk out from the theater feeling my legs too weak to do so. My son was with me and saw it first hand, my precise motions while trying to hold it all together; a lesson for him, my youngest who barely remembers his daddy. It's been 13 years for me but this movie brought me back to the moment of losing my in-laws forever when they demanded a mask on my emotions and my surrendering to their desires, instead of respect to my own.

I write this, so that if you are a griever, you are prepared for this movie, but recommend it highly in the 1000 star performance Sandler gave.

If you are not yet a griever, please take a lesson from his movie and just listen and accept people's choices in their grief, letting them find peace in their own time! Sometimes, the soul can not utter the words to convey our pain.

Go see this movie with tissues and not without preparing to take it in... to your soul!

"I was stuck in Charlie world; I couldn't leave."

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 4 December 2007]

Time and time again, it seems that the comedic actors of Hollywood are surprising me with their talents as dramatic performers: first it was Robin Williams {'One Hour Photo (2002)'}, then it was Jim Carrey {'Eternal Sunshine… (2004)' being one example}, then Will Ferrell {'Stranger than Fiction (2006)'} and now Adam Sandler. Yes, that's absolutely right: the guy who has based an entire career on making brainless, goofball comedies {I'm not complaining; I've always been a fan} has finally given me a performance of which he can be proud. Of course, some readers may be wondering whatever happened to 'Punch-Drunk Love (2002),' but I can only assure you that it's a film I'm currently taking measures to see as soon as possible, since I've heard it's terrific. My first film from director Mike Binder, 'Reign Over Me,' is an intelligent and respectful exploration of grief and friendship. Though it does occasionally stray into all-too-familiar territory, the somewhat predictable storyline proves surprisingly deep and moving, with both Sandler and Don Cheadle giving memorable performances.

Alan Johnson (Cheadle) is a successful dentist with a good family, though he finds himself unable to communicate adequately with his wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) and so his marriage is a little shaky. Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) is Alan's ex-college roommate, a man who lost his entire family in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and who is still confronting his overwhelming feelings of grief. A disheveled figure with messy hair and downcast eyes {often likened in appearance to Bob Dylan}, Charlie has abandoned his career in dentistry, and spends his time in solitude: listening to music with headphones that cut out all sound from the outside world, driving around Manhattan in his motorised scooter, immersing himself in fantastical video games and repeatedly redecorating his apartment kitchen in accordance with his deceased wife's final wishes. When Alan and Charlie meet for the first time in years, the latter doesn't even recognise an old friend, having completely abandoned any memories prior to his life-crippling experience. Indeed, at first he doesn't even acknowledge the existence of his family, and abruptly loses his temper whenever anybody suggests that he seek counselling.

Initially, it may seem a bit exploitative for the filmmakers to be using the September 11 attacks as a storytelling device. Afterall, wouldn't it be just as devastating if Charlie's family had died in an ordinary, everyday car accident? However, if you consider that the director's intention was to demonstrate the enormous pain caused to ordinary citizens by the tragedy, then 'Reign Over Me' does a very good job. It's easy to get so caught up in meaningless statistics that you neglect the emotional costs of the terrorist attacks; this is the first 9/11-orientated film I've seen that truly dealt with the suffering of those who weren't even involved, whose only anguish was caused through losing those whom they loved. Adam Sandler shows surprising range in a difficult role, one which would have crumbled to pieces had he not been up to the task. Snapping instantly between cheerfulness, anger and depression, Charlie Fineman is a man with whom we can deeply sympathise, a hollow soul who, thanks to the companionship of an old friend, can finally glimpse light at the end of a dark, bleak tunnel.

Heartbreaking, Deep, Provocative--- "Reign Over Me" is further proof of Adam Sandler's Talent as a Dramatic Actor

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 10/10 · 3 October 2012]

9/11 is a day that will live in the hearts and minds of everyone around the world. It was a day of change, heartbreak and for many people, it was a day of uniting with others to seek solace, compassion and strength. And the events of that day form of the backbone of Mike Binder's astonishingly powerful film "Reign Over Me", starring Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle.

Sandler plays Charlie Fineman, a young man whose wife and children were on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on September the 11th, 2001. His whole world destroyed, he broke down, and retreated into himself, becoming an odd hermit and recluse. He constantly obsesses over re-doing the remodeling in his apartment and playing the video game "Shadow of the Colossus." (Fans of the game will understand how symbolic and provocative this detail is, and how important it is to the story.) Charlie is barely able to function in any sort of social norm, suffering bizarre outbreaks of anger and paranoia, and is almost completely unable to hold a normal conversation.

Cheadle plays Alan Johnson, a dentist who was friends and roommates with Fineman in college. Johnson is a normal man dealing with normal problems- turbulence in his family life, the death of his elderly father, and the bizarre affections of a patient whom has fallen for him despite the fact he is married and won't cheat on his wife.

After a chance encounter on the street leads to Johnson and Fineman reconnecting, the film plays out as a heartbreaking-yet-hopeful Odyssey as Johnson tries his best to help Fineman rebuild his life, while trying to repair his own life at the same time.

Other roles include Jada Pinkett Smith as Janeane, Alan's wife. Liv Tyler as a psychologist Alan is familiar with whom decides to try and help Charlie, and supporting roles by Donald Sutherland, director Mike Binder, Ted Raimi, Saffron Burrows and others.

This is very much an actor's movie. There are no big action sequences or laugh-out-loud set-pieces. This is a subtle picture about the way lines are delivered and the twitches and undertones of the faces of the performers. And everyone in this film is remarkable. From tiny roles played by Binder, Raimi, Burrows, etc. Everyone delivers fine performances.

But Sandler and Cheadle are the heart of the film, and I honestly feel both deserved Oscar Nods for their work here. Cheadle says so much in role, and it was an admirable, strong performance. And Sandler continues to prove his talent as a dramatic actor, after his appearance in the incredible "Punch Drunk Love." Sandler lets Fineman envelope him and he transforms himself so much, he's near unrecognizable from his normal comedic roles. Sandler is a revelation in this role.

Everything else about the film is top notch. From wonderful, subtle direction to a heartbreaking and heat re-building script to some truly astonishing music, this is a darned-near-perfect film.

I adore this movie. "Reign Over Me" is a triumph of human drama and I'd highly recommend it. An obvious 10 out of 10.

generally thoughtful film with a great performance by Cheadle

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 18 August 2008]

Adam Sandler takes on one of his rare dramatic roles in "Reign Over Me," playing a man suffering from acute post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the loss of his wife and daughters on 9/11. Once a successful dentist, Charlie Fineman has now retreated to a world of his own, cut off from friends, family members and even the memories of his old life. Don Cheadle plays Alan Johnson, Charlie's former college roommate with a successful dental practice of his own who runs into Charlie on the street one day and slowly, tentatively offers him the hand of friendship. The movie chronicles the slow but steady healing process that takes place as a result of that friendship.

Given the setup, one wouldn't expect Alan to turn out to be the more complex, layered and compelling of the two characters. But in writer/director Mike Binder's gifted hands, we come to see that Alan is struggling every bit as much as Charlie is with his own set of weaknesses, insecurities and inadequacies, albeit not in so obvious a fashion. For the major difference between Alan and Charlie is that Alan can at least manage to hold his life together and remain a productive adult while Charlie clearly cannot. Is Alan drawn to Charlie because he sincerely wants to help him, or is he drawn to him because, in some strange way, he envies the freedom that Charlie's dysfunctional life affords him? Or is it a little of both? The beauty of the character - and of Cheadle's magnificently rich interpretation of him - is that we never really know the answer to those questions.

Binder is notably less successful at getting into Charlie's head, partly because Sandler's performance, while not bad, lacks the subtle shadings we find in Cheadle's. Still, there are moments in which Sandler effectively captures the heartbreaking pain that his character is going through. The movie also boasts very fine work from Jada Pinkett Smith, as Alan's wife; Melinda Dillon as Charlie's concerned mother-in-law; Saffron Burrows as a mentally disturbed patient who comes on to Alan in his office; Liv Tyler as a compassionate psychiatrist; and Paula Newsome as Alan's sassy office receptionist who provides some much needed humor to lighten the load.

The movie could be criticized for having a few too many subplots cluttering up the main storyline, but I argue that it is those very subplots that are indispensable to the movie since they help to flesh out Alan's character and world. It's true that the film does run on too long and that it occasionally feels a bit too contrived, simplistic and cutesy for its own good, but, on the whole, this is a moving, thoughtful film that treats both its subject matter and its audience with the respect they deserve.

Full of good intentions... and yet such a BAD movie

[niuqniuq · 1/10 · 7 September 2007]

The dialogues are awful, the characters not likable at all, everything sounds so fake and phony, even feelings, especially sad feelings. And so many explanations... everything gets explained, even after Sandler finally speaks about his dead family to Don Cheadle, he has to explain "I don't like to remember" while Liv Tyler (the most improbable psychiatrist in the whole movie history - possibly worse than J. Lo in "The Cell") stands there gaping. The movie has no rhythm, there is absolutely no building of tension - neither dramatic nor romantic - the situations are all highly improbable. The Saffron Burrows story bears no resemblance to anything remotely possible - gorgeous woman coming from a tragic marriage asks her dentist to please let her give him a blow-job, he refuses, she threatens him with a false accusation of trying to rape her, then repents her behavior, withdraws her threats and then - Lo and behold! - becomes eligible as the next sweetheart of said dentists' loony friend. I read a comment here going "If you are not moved by this, check your pulse". Well, my pulse is working fine, thank you very much, but to feel moved by a story I need to be able to identify at least a little bit with at least ONE of the characters. The whole story looks like the result of reading too many Readers' Digest psychoanalytic articles. The 9/11 issue looks like a base way of captivating the audience's favors - certainly not mine. I only wonder why among Post-Vietnam movies there are so many masterpieces, while post-9/11 movies have yet to produce something decent. What is happening to American movies? Where have all the great directors gone? Awful, from A to Z - and beyond.

Great

[NickBurr2003 · 10/10 · 23 March 2007]

This Movie was amazing, it is the kind of movie where you watch it and rather than look at other movies by actor you look at other movies by director/ writer. Sandler did a good job working a character outside of his comfort zone and the always good Cheadle did a great job too. This movie is great for a mature intelligent audience. The acting was fantastic and can only be surpassed by the Writing and directing of the film. This film focuses on the real Americans, the past generation, no stereotypes or Racism just people who have come together and realized the true meaning of life. This film is about loss and coping. Instead of picking on Psychiatry, it defines it, not as someone who heals you magically, but rather through the necessity of talking out your feeling to an impartial someone you can trust will not judge you, but rather will guide you though your thoughts. This movie is all round amazing!

Very, very touching, powerful and well done

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 8 July 2011]

Like I did with Punch-Drunk Love, I heard nothing but good things about Reign Over Me. And like that film, I wasn't expecting such a wonderful film. The film has many moments when it is powerful and also when it is touching, especially the end, where I promised myself not to cry but couldn't take it anymore. The story is compelling and original, the film looks striking, and there is solid direction, a nicely understated background score and a very well meaning script. Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler also give wonderful performances, and I concur with those who says Sandler is better in dramatic roles than he is in comedy, in comedy I can find him irritating depending on the character and how the film itself is written, but in drama you see a different side to him and it is often quite endearing. All in all, touching, powerful and well-done. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Yep, a really good 2-hour movie, Sandler in a dramatic but funny role.

[TxMike · 2 December 2007]

It doesn't make a big deal of it in the script, but the movie is a story of a man who lost his family in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, they were in one of the planes that flew into the Tower. The movie is about the grief and sense of loss that the man tries to deal with, and how friendship with a long-lost friend can make all the difference.

Adam Sandler is the man, Charlie Fineman. He is frumpy and seemingly aimless in his life, still living in the apartment he had shared with his wife and 3 daughters 6 years earlier, re-modeling his kitchen over and over. Once a dentist, now he rides a skateboard type of motorized scooter all over Manhattan. He is not at all short of cash, from the insurance and government settlements. But he clearly is hurting inside.

A chance spotting of Charlie on the streets by Don Cheadle as Alan Johnson begins the story of this movie. Alan was a friend of Charlie's, a roommate in dental school, and now a very successful dentist. Charlie doesn't even recognize him. So Alan does the only thing he can, he tries to become the friend that Charlie seems to need.

Jada Pinkett Smith is good as Alan's wife, Janeane. Liv Tyler is cute and effective as Angela Oakhurst, a psychiatrist that has an office near Alan's office. The crazy lady is played by Brit Saffron Burrows as Donna Remar, a patient of Alan's who makes an unsolicited sexual offer, then later threatens to sue Alan. She tries hard to do a believable American accent, but it sounds like a Brit trying to do an American accent, not really sounding like any American accent.

There is a court appearance where Charlie's competence is being questioned and Donald Sutherland is superb in a small but important role as Judge Raines. Mike Binder, the writer/director, is effective as Bryan Sugarman, a lawyer and friend that helps see that Charlie's wealth is not misspent.

All in all a very fine movie about friendship. I especially liked the interactions between Cheadle and Sandler. Although a drama, there are many funny moments, and a few touching ones also. Plus, the music chosen for the sound track is really good.

SPOILERS. Charlie always reacts negatively and some times violently at the idea that "friends" are trying to get him into therapy. One scene, where he is on the street with a gun, and then arrested, leads to his 3-day hospitalization then later to the court appearance. His break comes after another non-productive session with Angela (Liv Tyler) where she says, as he is leaving, "You need to talk to someone, not necessarily me." He goes out and begins to open up to his friend Alan, the first time he has been able to face the tragedy, and that helps him get onto a road to recovery. His last conversation with his wife was by phone in Boston at the airport, and the conversation ended with him being unkind, something he had never forgiven himself for. Getting past that seemed to be his biggest obstacle.

Worth the money

[don-brown · 7/10 · 15 March 2007]

I am not an Adam Sandler fan so I went with to the preview with great trepidation. It was much better than I thought it would be. There is no question that time is getting short when Cheadle will finally get an Oscar. He is really a terrific actor. This is a movie where race does not matter and we need more like it. Cheadle's character could as easily been white as black and Sandler's character could have been any race. It is a pleasure to see a film where the audience is not bludgeoned to death with race or where it is obvious that it would not work without the race card being played. The film does have it's tedious moments - it could have just as easily wrapped itself up on 90 minutes as in 124 minutes. And the story telling is a little ragged. Also some heavy hitter stars have virtually cameo roles such as Donald Sutherland and they don't get their time on screen until you have forgotten they may have been the reason you bought the ticket in the first place. I wouldn't say it is Must See as with Will Smith in Happiness but it is certainly an Ought to See.

A melancholy, heart-tugging, honest response to 9/11

[secondtake · 8/10 · 19 June 2012]

Reign Over Me (2007)

This might be the best movie to deal with the 9/11 attacks out there. At first that isn't clear, but once you are done you realize that's all that matters. Out of nowhere, a tragedy and its personal consequences.

Of course, this is also a movie about a very unselfish friendship. Don Cheadle leads this movie top to bottom (this is the Adam Sandler movie that is really a Don Cheadle movie). And his unshakeable kindness and patience with ex-roommate Sandler is beautifully rendered. Cheadle's acting has a whole range of subtle gestures and hesitations that are clearly his, beyond what any director might offer. As the successful dentist in his late model Volvo wagon, he represents what Sandler, the man suffering from loss and psychological instability, once had.

Sandler is sort of perfect as a choice in this role partly because he's cast against type and that's the dynamic of the movie--a man who should be very different from what you see. The whole time you can picture the lively loving Sandler, and not the wreck before you. He plays the part with the quirks and inwardness you might expect, and it's not quite brilliant. He ends up supporting the shine of Cheadle's lead.

Another aspect to the movie, probably not unintended, is the beauty of New York, and the romantic lure of its ordinary streets. There are no landmarks here, just regular life in regular Manhattan.

The one slight drag on the whole affair, and I'm not sure how this could have been avoided without a wholly different plot, is the attempts to bring Sandler out of his hole. One aspect is professional psychiatry, which makes sense, and is pretty well done. (I found the depiction of an accomplished shrink by Liv Tyler really good.) But the other aspect, meant I suppose to add some spice to the cast, is the nutty and sharply beautiful presence of an outlier character, a woman who just happens along first into Cheadle's world and then by extension (and some unbelievable coincidence) into Sandler's. Saffron Burrows plays the part well but it seems forced into the scene--at times funny and poignant but, as with several other minor characters like the in-laws, mostly caricatured or out of place.

Not that anything is ever quite out of place in fiction. Fiction with a strong strain of truth giving it its depth. Director and writer Mike Binder has managed to pull together a gem that refers, ever so gently, to 9/11, and to some deeply caring New Yorkers who all, as a larger group, all suffered from the attacks. "Reign over Me" did not get the attention you might have expected. It's possibly because it's such a depressing movie, whatever its upbeat moments. But it's beautifully sad, like maybe we imagine some of the best European films to be, and I really recommend it on those terms.

Bug: The Prequel or A BJ Fixes Everything?

[pushnlacs · 6/10 · 10 October 2007]

This film has some moving moments that are touching in regards to a man losing his family in the 911 attacks. That said in dealing with such a important topic the filmmakers should have made sure they treated it with dignity.

Instead we get a film were a very unstable man(Charlie) is left to wonder the street until the inevitable day that he snaps. Then when he does and you think "Thank God, he'll be taken off the street and get the help he needs", he is instead casually thrown out on his own yet again.

Then His friend and his shrink who have been "helping" him do so in the end by playing matchmaker and hooking him up with a obviously unstable women who earlier in the film was obsessed to the point of insanity with giving Charlie's friend a BJ.

As anyone seen Bug? Charlies new apartment in which He and the women have been left to their own devices, is going to end up covered in foil, scattered with bug zappers.

That or the moral of the story is that a BJ fixes everything.

For dealing with such powerful themes and having some truly moving moments, it is way to irresponsible a film IMHO.

The Best Serious Adam Sandler Role

[infernofilms00 · 9/10 · 23 March 2007]

Reign Over Me (titled after the who song) is a movie that is sure to bring a tear to almost everyone's eye. It was a moving story of a guy (sandler) that lost his family in the 9-11 world trade center attacks. Years later, he runs into an old college roommate (cheadle) that he doesn't even recognize due to the post-dramatic stress ensued by the loss of his family. The two rekindle their old friendship and Cheadle's character, Johnson, realizes that he must get Sandler's character, Fineman, some help before it's too late.

This was the first movie that has made me cry in a long time. It's completely worth watching and after seeing it, I'm positive the viewer will appreciate his or her family much more.

Sandler is outstanding

[WilliamCQ · 7/10 · 9 April 2008]

Beside the scenario being very good and touching, the aspect that touched me the most was Adam Sandler performance and beside his big nose and funny voice, it could've been a whole other person. I really digged his character from the start ; which isn't always the case with other stereotyped actors which can do other types but will leave you with a an odd moment during the transition, which for me is being cocky saying to myself "let's see how you're going to pull this off !". Sandler's character was credible and his acting was incredible, I haven't studied theater so sadly can't give much more detail than that.

The direction was good but had a few moments which aren't much enjoyable during replay, it could've been like something else Don Cheadle was in : Crash.

One complaint about the scenario is the unrealistic precarious situation Sandler character is placed in at some point because he did some trouble. It might be nice and romantic but a turn-off for realists.

Overall, a must-see ! Too bad I didn't have a lady in my life at that time to see that in cinema.

An unexpected good dark comedy/drama from Sandler

[blaccjesus · 9/10 · 13 March 2007]

I saw this at a screening last night too. I was totally blown away at how much better this movie was than what I expected. Not many movies can combine dark comedy and current event drama and not have it fall apart in the conclusion.

I won't bother rehashing the plot too much because I think the less you know about this movie going into it makes it that much better. But I will say that Adam Sandler's performance was really refreshing and real. He was funny, and much funnier than most of his most recent comedies. Don Cheadle was believable as always.

This movie isn't funny like Borat or Billy Madison but it has a good pace about it. I'd say 90% of the audience laughed for most of the film. Midway through the movie slows down to address the drama end of things and does a really nice job of tying it all together.

I also thought it was really cool how instead of playing up the whole black friend/white friend thing they chose to just ignore it and focus on the relationships themselves.

FINALLY....... Sandler really acts

[manilla-73 · 7/10 · 22 August 2010]

One of the things that has recently annoyed me is the comedy actors that keep on doing the same thing over and over again. Think of Carrey and Ferrel and you may understand what I mean. Sandler alas has been the same.

However Carrey made "The Truman Show" and proved that he could act, and Ferrel made "Stranger than Fiction".

Now Sandler has done the same with this film, and I have to say he has changed my opinion if 2 hours. The film is a similar premise to that of "The Fisher King" in many ways, except we knew that Robin Williams could act when he made it.

Breaking the mold can be a dangerous thing to do, especially when so many people seem to like the whimsical comedy that he normally does.

A well made, and well acted film by all the mains, spiced up with a great cameo from Sutherland.

Not a pacey film but a great character piece, which I would recommend to anyone.

Kind of lame and boring to be honest

[knowingwhat · 3/10 · 4 April 2008]

The movie is about a guy who experienced loss because of 911. Sadly, the only reason the movie has high ratings is because nobody wants to give a movie involving 911 a low score but honestly it wasn't very exciting.

Basically it's about a guy who doesn't want to talk about his past and people are worried about him.... big deal.

Really, I don't blame them for using 911 but really, they could have done a lot better.

To be honest, you should spend time with your family or friends instead of watching this one.