Caffeinated Clint
Binder directed 2005’s surprisingly touching ‘Upside of Anger’ and he brings the same deft touch with human emotion to this project.
Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Saffron Burrows, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler
How do you make a film about 9/11 that doesn’t really feature anything about 9/11? That seems to be the challenge that writer/director Mike Binder set himself with ”Reign Over Me’, but it’s one he’s mostly up to. Binder directed 2005’s surprisingly touching ‘Upside of Anger’ and he brings the same deft touch with human emotion to this project.
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 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?).
Rating : 
Reviewer : Nic Healey
