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A+ |
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A+ |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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A+ |
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Sandler And Cheadle Reigns Supreme
by Eric (movies profile)
Dec 1, 2007
24
of
28 people found this review helpful
Adam Sandler has given us memorable characters before; Bobby Buchet, Happy Gilmore, Barry Eagan just to name a few. But all of these are a lead-up to his most startling transformation as he takes on Charlie Fineman, the subject of Mike Binder's new dramatic comedy Reign Over Me. Paired with Don Cheadle and supported by an amazing supporting cast and Binder's wonderful script and direction, we are given perhaps the most personal look at the tragedy that comes out of 9/11; not of those who died, but those who lived in the wake of unspeakable loss.
Our first images are of Charlie riding around on a motor scooter around the near-empty streets of New York. This is Charlie's New York, far-removed from him and living on a separate plane of reality. But along comes Alan Johnson (Cheadle), Charlie's college roommate where they went to dental school. Alan has troubles of his own; a new patient that is making unwarranted moves on him, a wife (Jada Pinkett-Smith) who comes off a little controlling of her husband's outside activities. When Alan stops Charlie, he finds that Charlie's in real bad shape, forgotten about his life since the tragedy, including their friendship. Through gradually does Charlie start to remember the people of his past and the things that he liked. The one part he tries the hardest to ignore being his wife and three daughters, all of which were on one of the planes used on 9/11. He plays a video game to alieve his frustration of futility. He listens to old records at home while traveling the empty streets with a well-stocked IPOD.
Alan's rekindled friendship with Charlie brings out things in his own life, his own insecurities about his professional and personal life that he's been dealing with for years. He harasses the shrink next door to his office (Liv Tyler) after work for free advise. With Charlie, he's able to forget his woes, but perhaps at the expense of losing touch with those he loves and following his friend into seclusion. Eventually, he decides he needs to help Charlie come out of his isolated world and rejoin the rest of society. The problem is that Charlie's pain has become too much of his personality, that the wounds of losing his entire family (except his wife's parents, who are more than a little overbearing) won't heal entirely. And yet it is in this friendship that both men can seek peace with their worlds in each other.
From this point on, you'd think this movie is entirely serious, which is completely wrong. While this is a drama piece, it knows how to laugh at the rough sides of life and allows the wounded to be able to define themselves through humor. Comedy is important in tragedy since the ability to laugh is the first step to recovery. For these two friends, comedy is the means which they bond. They can see the humor in each other's problems. And then there are some truly funny supporting characters such as Alan's receptionist who has a God complex (and the sliding window to prove it).
The real treat of Reign Over Me is Adam Sandler's profound performance, added to the truly magnificent support of Don Cheadle as the straight one. These guys deliver the essential one-two punch that this film needs to keep you involved. I want to see Oscar Noms for both these actors (although there's a good chance Cheadle might be seeing Best Actor for Talk To Me later this year). There's pure magic when these two characters interact. Not to mention that they're surrounded by amazing supporting performances such as Jada Pinkett-Smith who brings power into a role usually made into a nag. And let's not forget Mike Binder's own performance as Charlie's lawyer, which is a sleazy character, though one that truly feels for his client in a very sleazy kind of way.
But there must be credit given to Binder mostly for his intelligent screenplay, his keen sense of location and setting, not to mention his ability to allow the likes of Sandler and Cheadle to bring life to these characters that live outside of words and blocking. One of my favorite elements of the screenplay involves just how Charlie finally reveals his side of the tragedy. Instead of waiting for some random scene to happen, he blindsides us with the suddenness of Charlie's response. When tears are shed, we feel these are tears from a man who had long ago forgotten how to cry and had a lot to cry about.
There could be said that there's many metaphors thrown throughout the film involving Charlie's long, lonely world, but I honestly believe that the film doesn't mean to make those the main points. But the film is more interested in connecting two men who needed each other. Binder's film allows us to see 9/11 in a way little shown, away from politicians and newsmakers who use the dead as martyrs. It wants to show us how life is capable of moving even when you don't want to feel that any more. And that hope is more powerful that most believe possible. Unlike other movies, we aren't told this, but we see this through well-thought out characters.
All in all, I cannot recommend Reign Over Me enough times. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll even laugh through the tears, which is probably the most important thing. And that's what makes this one of the best films of the year. |
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