After recently watching this film, it amazed me how Adam Sandler can not just do the comedy that I've loved from him for years, but also perform the more emotional and much more meningful characters so convincingly. I wouldn't blame you if you...
[+] Read Full Review

After recently watching this film, it amazed me how Adam Sandler can not just do the comedy that I've loved from him for years, but also perform the more emotional and much more meningful characters so convincingly. I wouldn't blame you if you expect to see slapstick fights and plenty of swearing, because that's what Sandler's movies are usually all about. This though was an almost perfect movie for me. It brought very subtle comedy into a very tragic story of a man refusing to move on from the deaths of his wife and three children in the 9/11 attacks. Not only was Sandler on such top form, but Don Cheadle also did brilliatly as the friendly family-man Alan, who has everything that Charlie used to have.

One scene which really shone for me was Charlie's eventual openness towards his college room mate about his lost family. It was so emotionally delivered by Sandler that I almost got thrown by his ability to not only do comedy in such brilliant way, but also show the more personal and emotional sides of a character.

It was the ending though that brought Reign Over Me down slightly. I would have much preferred to see how Charlie was for the rest of his life and whether he had a happy one. It seemed to end abruptly.

Nevertheless this movie was fantastic, and Sandler gave a new refereshing performance to completely give me a new perspective of his talents. The storyline was told very well and this film will long reman one of my favourites.

I think this is the most inspirational movie I have ever seen in my life time. I think Adam Sandler plays the best role in his life. And Don Cheadle had an amazing performance as Allen Johnson. I Think this is my favorite movie.

Adam Sandler plays a character named Charlie Fineman who lost his family during the September 11th attack. He is a very distraught man who has to deal with the pain and suffering of loosing the ones he loved. Allen Johnson, his old room mate, who...
[+] Read Full Review

Adam Sandler plays a character named Charlie Fineman who lost his family during the September 11th attack. He is a very distraught man who has to deal with the pain and suffering of loosing the ones he loved. Allen Johnson, his old room mate, who helps him deal with everything. Once Allen asks him questions about his family, he gives wild tantrums and yells a lot. He likes to consider Allen as a friend because he didn't know his family. Charlie thinks it would be a lot easier and that Allen wouldn't ask him a lot of questions about it but he was wrong.

It is sad the way we humans work. If this movie had starred some complete unknown in the lead roll it would have done better. The box offices totals would have been higher and the reviews, more complex.

Alas, It starred Adam...
[+] Read Full Review

It is sad the way we humans work. If this movie had starred some complete unknown in the lead roll it would have done better. The box offices totals would have been higher and the reviews, more complex.

Alas, It starred Adam Sandler whom has been typecast by his many comedic roles and I would hazard to guess that few people forked out eight bucks to see a movie they felt confused over.

But they should have.

This is a compelling story of remorse, guilt, and the slow very painful process of finding something tangible to survive for. A man who had the world taken from him in the blink of an eye living with the endless array of guilt and sorrow that only serve to remind him of what he's lost. Adam Sandler is very good in this movie, his portrayal of a man completely lost to the world is excellent, right down to his in ability to feel anything. It is impossible to not suffer his heart right along with him and thankfully, Don Cheadle does such a beautiful job of conveying that for us that we don't have to work to hard at it.

The subplots are well done, work with in the frame work offered by the overall story, and the supporting cast from Jada Pinkett Smith to Saffron Burrows do such a good job of keeping things in their right depth that you don't get lost in the sub-stories or feel them trite and pretentious.

My only complaint is the end. I found it a little to Hollywood and would have liked this ending to have been more near the end of Act II. Obviously it was to give us hope, that independent souls have the ability to find peace and rebirth, but it would have been played better if he done it earlier. I never mention favorite scenes, but I was so touched by the courthouse scene with his In-laws that I have to mention just how great that scene was, right down to the fidgety hard play Sandler's character showed when after delivering that beautiful monologue about how much he misses them, he leans and gives his mother in law a kiss. It is moments like that which allow us to realize the depth of our own lives.