Reign Over Me review

Angela Oakhurst: Charlie, before you go, I'd like to say something. Look, the fact is you had a family and you suffered a great loss, and until you discuss that and we can really talk about that, this is all just an exercise. I can be patient, Charlie, but you need to tell someone your story. It doesn't have to be me, but someone. 

Director: Mike Binder
(2007)

Is it possible to be able to make an audience understand an event that most of them might never experience? Almost everyone will suffer loss in their lifetime, but will they lose everyone they care about at exactly the same time? According to director Mike Binder, the answer to unlocking this empathy is to cast Adam Sandler. While this sounds ridiculous, it’s not the biggest failing of Reign Over Me, and despite Sandlers- and many others- best efforts, reign over me falls a little flat.

Adam Sandler is solid here as Charlie Fineman, a man who lost his entire family in the 9/11 attacks. Its odd seeing Sandler in a completely serious role, a far cry from his usual comedic performances. To my surprise (and pleasure) it appears Sandler has some degree of talent, and helps round out the solid cast here. Fineman is at a loss in life until he bumps into his saviour and old college roommate, Don Cheadles Alan Johnson. Much of the film revolves around getting Charlie to visit a psychiatrist, help that he doesn’t feel he needs. He’s locked his emotions away, to him forgetting is better than overcoming, something that makes for some tender scenes.

Despite its topic, the fact that Charlie loses his family in the 9/11 attacks has very little place in the overall story, and is never rammed down the audiences throat. It could be that this underplaying is to be subtle and respectful to a great American tragedy. Conversely, reign over me is a meditation on loss and suffering, and the loss and suffering caused by the 9/11 attacks could be an exploitative attempt to pull on the audiences heartstrings. In all honesty, this choice by Binder comes across as irrelevant, as the film is void of almost any emotion. A key point in the plot involves Sandlers character having an emotional breakdown, something that should rock the film (and its audience) to the core, especially after he spends so much time bottling up these powerful emotions. Yet it doesn’t. Sandler does wonders with his material, but the emotional punch just isn't there.

Apart from this heartfelt outburst, the rest of the film is very one note. Events tick over with no real purpose and nothing drives the plot forward. Content is very thin on the ground here, and the saving grace comes from the great performances from the all star cast. Cheadle is compassionate and caring towards his old friend, while Liv Tyler is a psychiatrist who tries to help Charlie find the light at the end of the tunnel. Without all the hard work these fine actors, reign over me would have very little going for it.

4