REIGN OVER ME
Reign Man: A Soundtrack for the Big Apple's Wounded Souls, Yearning to Breathe
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The PopcornReel.com Early Review: "Reign
Over Me"
By Omar P.L. Moore/March 16, 2007
(Note: "Reign Over Me" opens on March 23, 2007 in
North America.)
Intersection: Saffron Burrows (left), Liv Tyler, Adam
Sandler and Don Cheadle in Mike Binder's "Reign Over Me", which opens on March 23.
(All photos: Sony Pictures)
In the best American film so far this year, Adam Sandler does the best work of his
career. Mike Binder directs the amazingly good, far-better-than
advertised "Reign Over Me", a profoundly moving and highly entertaining drama
about human beings journeying through the pain of loss and heartache.
Wounded souls are scattered, like the detritus that reigned down over New York
City almost six years ago.
These souls are touched by events that altered some temporarily, and some
forever. The troubles of every day life have come crashing down upon us
all. None have been unscathed. Whether rich or poor, black, white,
Latino, Asian. Whether whatever, we have all been jaded and scarred by
pain. And in "Reign Over Me", Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) is a successful
lead partner and creator of a dentistry practice in New York City. Also
the partnership's top dentist, Alan is a charmer, a handsome, confident married
man, which naturally attracts women to him, making life at work complicated.
Alan is married to Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith, in another good performance.)
Along with their two children they appear to be a happy middle-class family.
But for Alan, something is missing. He consults young psychologist Anne
Oakhurst (played with a measure of sincerity by Liv Tyler) who practices in the
same building as he does. They laugh and banter about the bill for
sessions while walking along Park Avenue.
Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) is in a world of his own. He speeds through
a virtually empty New York City (empty not by accident) on a go-ped in the
film's exquisite opening credit sequence of images of the world's greatest most
electrifying city, accompanied by some wonderful music. The go-ped is
Charlie's form of transportation. Cabs? Buses? Subways?
Who needs them? Charlie, a fellow dentist who isn't practicing, looks like
Bob Dylan (the hair is distinctly similar) and shrugs about, silently moping,
mistrustful. He too has something missing in his life. Something
precious.
When Alan and Charlie, who also are former college roommates, meet by chance,
something happens to them both.
Don Cheadle as Alan Johnson, a New York City dentist and Adam Sandler as
Charlie Fineman -- both are wounded hearts in "Reign Over Me" -- and Mr. Cheadle
and Mr. Sandler have excellent chemistry in Mike Binder's film, which opens on
March 23 in North America.
"Reign Over Me", which will open in the United States and Canada on March 23, is
a remarkable film directed and written by Mike Binder (who also directed the
great "The Upside of Anger" in 2005). It chronicles the journeys of the
two main protagonists and one side character (played by an unrecognizable
Saffron Burrows) who is a patient at Alan's dentist practice. The scenes
-- almost every single one -- is superbly written. The dialogue is real.
The situations are very real, and oh-so adult. There is discomfort,
complexity, frustration, joy, pain, sadness, slow recovery, anguish, anger.
There are so many great things going on in "Reign Over Me" that to reveal them
-- any of them -- in a review, particularly an early one, would be criminal.
The best way to enjoy this film is to know as little about it as possible.
Mr. Binder, who also appears in the film as Sugarman, a character who once was
great friends with Charlie, throws more than one plug (actually three) to
Apple and its Ipod, with three distinct shots of the player in several key
moments. The director also likes The Who ("Love, Reign O'er Me" -- from
which the title of this excellent, emotionally compelling film is taken) and
sings the praises of Bruce Springsteen (particularly his "The River" album and
its title track) and Jackson Browne. All of these artists are featured in
Ipod screen shots -- and for sure, more than a few people will be moved to
download those featured songs if they don't already have them in their music
library. (Pearl Jam are also featured on the film's soundtrack in a good
cover of The Who's classic song.) These songs are Charlie's anthem, songs
to seek refuge in from the pain, when things get very tough.
Mr. Sandler shatters the surface in a wonderful performance which should get
recognized next year for an Oscar nomination. Don Cheadle continues his
stellar career with another strong acting jaunt as Alan. The film's
scene-stealer is the amazing Paula Newsome as Melanie, Alan's receptionist.
She is brilliant. Melanie says all the most inappropriate things.
She is like a wind-up toy that spins out of control. Newsome should get
more work -- and she will. Her talents help deepen and elevate this great
film even more. Ms. Newsome was also in "Little Miss Sunshine". You
may remember her as the bereavement counselor and administrator at the hospital
where the Hoover family are summoned to. In that Oscar-winning film, she
gave Greg Kinnear's character what for, and she doesn't disappoint here.
Happy marriage? Jada Pinkett Smith (as Janeane) and Don Cheadle (as
Alan) look out over their Central Park East apartment in New York City in Mike
Binder's terrific "Reign Over Me." The film opens on March 23 in North
America, one week from today.
But all credit goes to Mike Binder, who chronicles adult drama, transition and
heartache so very well. His screenplay is that rarity that balances
characters and situations so evenly and credibly. Apart from one
compressed scene that revolves around Alan's family (which is a function of
editing, not the script) the writing is so very tight and strong. The film
should have been released around November or December 2007, but Sony presumably
decided to release it in time for spring break next week, in the hopes that
college students who have solidly backed Mr. Sandler's comedies will back this
drama and make it a $100 million hit within the U.S.
"Reign Over Me" is a must-see. But you have to wait until March 23 for
it to reign over you.
[Note for eagle-eyed viewers: if you look closely during "Reign Over Me" there's a scene inside a cafe marked "Quality Cafe". This is the same cafe used to film a scene from "Training Day" early on in that film when Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke first meet, and in "Seven", when Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow meet. Take a look at those films and see for yourself.]
"Reign Over Me" opens on March 23 in North America by
Sony Pictures, whose reputation is now restored after "Premonition".
"Reign Over Me" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for
language and some sexual references. The film's duration is two hours and
four minutes.
Related: Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle
"Reign" on Berkeley, California
Copyright The Popcorn Reel. PopcornReel.com. 2007.
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