Reign Over Me Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 03.26.2007
Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle light up the screen in a powerfully affecting drama.
Adam Sandler: Charlie Fineman
Don Cheadle: Alan Johnson
Jada Pinkett Smith: Janeane Johnson
Liv Tyler: Angela Oakhurst
Saffron Burrows: Donna Remar
Donald Sutherland: Judge Raines
Mike Binder: Bryan Sugarman
Robert Klein: Jonathan Timpleman
Melinda Dillon: Ginger Timpleman
Written/Directed By: Mike Binder
Release Date: March 23, 2007
Running Time: 124 minutes
Rated R for language and some sexual references.
Like probably everyone else attending a showing of Reign Over Me, I was worried about what I would see from funnyman Adam Sandler. The trailer was sufficient, and handled deftly enough to lure moviegoers in without revealing excessive plot details, but did his important shift into the serious realm of dramatic turns succeed? Thankfully, it does, though his biggest detractors will be hard to convince I assume. This is Adam Sandler’s best performance to date. This is more evidence that he is capable of anything most revered thespians are. He has limitless potential that most people fail to acknowledge. Jim Carrey and Robin Williams (except One Hour Photo) should step aside from their sporadic thriller moments and take lessons from this effortlessly authentic switch.
Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) is a New York City dentist, who at first glance, should not complain at all about his life. He has a wife and children that love him very much, and his job pays him extremely well. Unfortunately, Alan needs some space from his wife Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith). He finds himself forced into doing activities that she enjoys, while he is just waiting for room to breathe. One day he notices his old college roommate, Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler), walking down the street but he cannot get his attention because Charlie has headphones on. Soon, they bump into each other once more, and are able to start a conversation. Alan is interest in regenerating their friendship, but Charlie doesn’t even seem to remember him. The problem is Charlie’s whole family, including his dog, was killed in the September 11th attacks on New York City. He has shutdown from the world, and eliminated all recollections of that horrifying day. He does not talk or refer to this event, and any mention of therapy is out of the question. Alan and Charlie form a bond once again, but Charlie is in obvious need of some counseling. Alan really wants to help heal him, but in order for that to be successful, Charlie needs to agree to it.
One aspect that will cause an enormous amount of argument and debate is whether or not Reign Over Me exploits the tragedy of 9/11. In my opinion, the answer is unequivocally no. For starters, the dialogue barely makes reference to the date at all. Only a couple of times they describe Charlie’s wife and three kids as dying in a plane crash, but that’s it. This film does not display the towers collapsing, or lengthy monologues about how terrible that morning was for America. This is a simple story that feels surprisingly real, and very possibly might exist. The delivery seems so self-effacing and plausible that I never once doubted the motives of the filmmaker. These characters appear as realistic and alive as any strolling through the city today. This did not abuse our emotions because viewers will not concentrate on how or why he lost his family. They will be focusing on the individual, and how he is coping with his loss. The reason people will make this argument is because this is the first 9/11 film to deal with fictional characters. It was a bold move, one that should be applauded, not criticized. The true tales of suffering that certain loved ones live with each day are probably just as painful and disturbing as this.
Don Cheadle is an amazing, incredibly talented, and versatile actor. As Alan Johnson, he is a regular, likable family man, but inside he is screaming for some fresh air. He is a person that allows himself to be pushed around and taken advantage of. The strength of Cheadle’s acting can be seen, I feel, by looking only at his face. With the occasional fake smile, or movement of his eyes in a certain direction, Cheadle can evoke all that Alan is pondering at specific moments. I like to think I have been a follower of Cheadle from the early years when he guest starred on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and eventually went on to Boogie Nights. Cheadle is an actor who will see his name as an Academy Award nominee several more times in his career. One need not look any further than this film to see why.
In the eyes of mainstream critics, Adam Sandler is a comedian who has been met with “C” grades, (or “D” if you’re Peter Travers of Rolling Stone) for most of his cinematic offerings. The public has come to expect certain features and routines from him to the point that accepting any other part is big news. In other words, he is an easy target to disparage, and no matter how terrific any of his performances are, some people will never admit it. I instinctively kept waiting to see if Sandler would overplay or perhaps struggle with his portrayal of Charlie Fineman, but he never displayed the slightest sign of weakness. This is a brilliant, subdued, restrained, and tantalizing demonstration of his skills. Of course Sandler presented a similar character in Punch Drunk Love, but this part and this movie, are leaps and bounds better. This is not a complete 360 for Sandler due to the periodic sequences involving humor, but it is not the normal Sandler song and dance shtick. It is two friends having a good time together.
Sandler and Cheadle never outshine one another. I might give the upper hand to Sandler in this movie, but the natural chemistry they have on screen is undeniable. Despite the fact that they are opposites, Alan and Charlie actually seem like they were college roommates with nothing in common. I know I’ve shared a room with people that are totally unlike me. It happens, but you make the best of it, and try to find a comfortable niche. Both Sandler and Cheadle exhibit that through ordinary discussion about a passing female, varying tastes in music, and attachment to the profession of dentistry. Supporting roles are contributed by Jada Pinkett Smith, who is believably demanding, and gracefully persuasive as a wife that loves Alan, but does not know what he wants to change in their marriage. In addition, Donald Sutherland is delightful as a judge faced with a difficult decision.
Writer and director Mike Binder has crafted a tactful and elegant motion picture here. This is not a vehicle to play up the dramatic conversion of Sandler. He executes this parable with a gentle touch and considerate mind to express the complexity of the heeling process. The opening minutes are beautiful as he captures Charlie riding through the back streets of New York City on his scooter. It was a patient and calm beginning to a film that was fabulously and deliberately paced. Binder suggests hints of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors: Blue in that the central character is rejecting memories of the heartbreak, and has trouble expressing his frustrations, fears, and torment. Another facet that I admired and loved about this film is that the audience is given hardly any glimpse of this man’s family or history. Although this is a tearjerker, we are not subjected to multiple flashbacks of Charlie’s blissful former life, or his college experiences for that matter. Binder is not asking for tears, he is asking for sympathy and understanding.
Charlie definitely has a mental illness, and needs help, but it is to what extent that lies at the core of Reign Over Me. Just when you expect this to travel down a road of predictability, clichés, or inflated happy endings, it remarkably chooses to proceed down a path of realism. Besides an awkward tangent involving a disturbed dental patient of Alan’s, Reign Over Me is free of weakness. In the background is a gorgeously subtle score from Rolfe Kent, supported by songs like “Love, Reign Over Me” by The Who, and its commendable cover by Pearl Jam. Reign Over Me lands with an intense impact, but for the right reasons. It is a cautious, unrefined, genuinely poignant, and unselfish study of a broken man which viewers should have no trouble connecting to.
The 411: Filmmaker Mike Binder has created a film that rises way above The Upside of Anger. This is a moving, funny, and profoundly meaningful picture of a man who refuses to come to grips with his monumental loss. Reign Over Me is a drama with excellent pacing, mood, dialogue, and overall direction. Watching these two friends attempting to revive a friendship and deal with dilemmas is riveting and unforgettable. The performances by Cheadle and especially Sandler are absolutely magnificent and worth the price of admission alone. Alongside Zodiac, this is one of the best films of the year thus far.
