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The
story centres around Charlie Fineman (Sandler), a man whose life has
been on hold since his family was killed during the terrorist attack of
September 11, 2001. Spotted randomly by his old college roommate, Alan
Johnson (Don Cheadle), the two reunite as Alan tries to help Charlie
get back on track.
Of late it seems to be a requirement for
comedians to embark on serious roles – to show that they’re not just
grinning fools with a talent for silly voices. While it’s not entirely
fair to lump Adam Sandler in that pile (the man, after all, gave us the
excellent Punch Drunk Love) it’s very hard not to watch Reign Over Me without thinking, “You were Little Nicky…” Of course, Tom Hanks had the same problem transitioning from Bachelor Party to Philadelphia and he managed to survive.
The
truth is, Sandler brings genuine pathos to the role, proving that he
can put across a sense of true psychological damage as eloquently as he
can play a mentally retarded adult such as Billy Madison. Cheadle feels
a little restrained as Johnson, however, with his deeper motivations
never quite made explicit – leaving him somewhat of a mystery. That
said, the superb dynamic between the two more than makes up for
deficiencies in character.
If the film has any true flaws,
they’re subtle and probably Binder’s doing. Like many writer/directors
he seems to have been little too precious about some elements of the
script that an independent director might have toned down. Certain
metaphors – such as Charlie’s perpetually unfinished kitchen or his
obsession with Shadow of the Colossus (a game about slaying giants) –
seem clunky in comparison to the rest of the film.
But it’s not enough to detract from the overall feel of Reign Over Me.
It’s (thankfully) not a tawdry ‘feel good flick’ but instead a
considered and honest look at existence and one that manages to be
profound and uplifting.
EXTRAS
Extras include an audio commentary (Mike Binder provides an insightful
and enjoyable commentary, but without any great surprises or
revelations), a deleted scene (Of dubious value – one wonders why the
scene wasn’t inserted back into the film if it was important enough to
put on the DVD. Feels like an extra for extras’ sake), a making of
featurette (The behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the movie,
titled ‘Behind The Reign’, is a slightly dull look at the film’s
creation. One for the buffs.) and a photo gallery (Do people ever look
at these? Honestly?). Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 55%
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