Reign Over Me is the first truly great film of 2007, better even than the super-fun 300. The trouble is that it’s destined to become a zero dollar special which will frustrate me all year long. It’s been stamped 9/11, though it’s not even remotely about 9/11, people will stay away from it because of that. It’s a great performance by Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler that will be avoided by the public at large; having the ripple effect of Sandler shoving another monstrosity like Click down our throats in the near future. We already screwed Adam over by missing Punch Drunk Love, can’t you guys be buddies and see this for me? I feel like taking up a collection.
Sandler plays a guy on the very edge of sanity, he’s crazy with a side of crazy. He’s become un-tethered due to a traumatic event (which the trailer is kind enough to give away) and the story is about a past friend from his life (Cheadle) trying to work him back to good. The film revolves around the two men’s friendship, and their lives, which aren’t as different as the original premise might suggest. In the spirit of all buddy movies there is a scene where they play videogames together, I’m pretty close to demanding that scene from every male actor of note in Hollywood.
I want to mention the two very minor flaws before we get into the meaty accolades section. The movie has one weak montage. It’s the “we’re pals!” montage and it was completely unnecessary. The only other flaw here is a logic problem which unfortunately would require a spoiler to explain so I’ll just complain without detailing it. But I’m not letting you off the hook for it Reign Over Me, so don’t think you’ve gotten away with something.
The good? Plenty. The soundtrack is really effective for one. The script develops in a way which keeps you interested and challenged. Mental illness is not dealt with like an equation to solve (Hi Beautiful Mind) but instead as a realistic problem with root causes and difficult decisions. The movie absolutely refuses to stick a giant band aid on everything the way most initially tough films do. Cheadle is really strong here, he’s such a source of stability for any role he takes. Sandler and Cheadle work great together, and a bit part by Liv Tyler is effective too. It is, for lack of a better description, a very pretty movie about relationships, grief, and life in general. I wrote in my notes at one point “How will they end this?” which is a testament to Reign Over Me‘s innovation factor. You won’t know every road you’re headed down here so you’ll find a ton of entertainment to be had. The flick is very funny at times too, for a movie that could have wallowed in the subject matter there are nice laughs spread throughout.
So see it! Seriously. C’mon America, don’t make a good dramatic film into an afterthought of Adam Sandler’s career. Let’s reward good work. Don’t make me sit through more crap by ignoring things like good dialogue and a plausible story. I know there will always be people out there who enjoy the rubber mallet that is the Norbit genre but how about we also attach some value to a project of real substance? Reign Over Me has a story worth listening to; it’s a film worth watching. Get to it.
