Reign Over Me DVD Review

"Reign Over Me" reviews

DVD

Reign Over Me

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-08-17 14:50:25

Provider

DVD Review

The cataclysmic events of September the 11 2001 have begun to be committed to celluloid. The most high profile being Oliver Stone's World Trade Centre and Paul Greengrass's United 91. Two very different perspectives. But smaller stories about the many individuals touched and traumatised by the events have been relatively sparse so far.

This is the story of one such person. A decidedly dishevelled Adam Sandler plays Charlie Freeman, whose wife and three daughters are in one of the planes on that infamous day. Freeman is a dentist whose life falls apart slipping into post-traumatic stress to the point where he's unable to recognise an old friend, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) that he bumps into in the streets of New York. Alan is going through a mid-life crisis, feeling uninspired and frustrated in his marriage. So given the opportunity to relive his youth by getting involved with Freeman and his rock band, he sees it as escapism from his hum-drum life. However, he's mature enough to recognise Charlie needs professional help and becomes a true new friend in the rekindled relationship by persuading him to see a psychiatrist.

It's a refreshing change to see Sandler outside his wacky comedy safety zone and he manages to create a rounded character in Charlie, but still gives us some astute moments of humour and pathos in what is a difficult story that needs careful handling. With co-stars including Jada Pinkett-Smith, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland the story is rounded out too - a credible cast makes for credible characters.

Director Mike Binder wisely chooses to not overplay the trauma and this allows the film to fully focus on the difficulty of keeping a life on track, treating each of the leads' problems seriously. It's Sandler's film though and alongside Punch Drunk Love it proves, as dramatic roles so often do, that comedians make for some of the best serious actors around.

Extras allow you to see the pair jamming together - Cheadle playing bass when he'd never played before taking on the film is inspiring for any frustrated musicians plus there's a Making of and picture gallery of the production too.