Reign Over Me
STARRING
Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows
WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
It's pretty straightforward. Dentist (Sandler) loses family in 9/11 terrorist attacks. Man detaches himself from society until he happens to reconnect with his former roommate (Cheadle), also a dentist on the street. Their friendship, or a version of it, rekindles and they share the messiness that is life, but to what end?
WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Ok, so Sandler shows range and we are expected to fall all over ourselves. Let's face it, Punch-Drunk Love changed Sandler's options, and well, we can't be certain he did or did not want that, but funny, especially as an actor ages gets harder and harder. Though it may have been Spanglish that put him on the map for being the comedian who could act, as opposed to an actor that could do comedy. Either way, this movie is not the caliber of Spanglish or the novelty of Punch-Drunk Love. It is in my estimation a dud if not for the superb acting by the cast. I am troubled by the intrusion of the in-laws on a life to which they are no longer connected and I am certain that people who went through PTSD following 9/11 present less of a danger to others or themselves than your routine bipolar or schizophrenic personality.
Mike Binder who wrote and directed this film (and more notably The Upside of Anger) seems to do a better job writing about the lives and anguishes of a family of women than he does with characterizing the aftermath of traumatic event. The complexity of this story, especially the many angles of the friendship between Cheadle and Sandler plays as if it might have been too much to accomplish in two hours.
WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Maybe....my guess is it may be hard for some, likeable for others, or a genuine disappointment. It is most certainly an adult's movie.
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1 comments:
Hated it!!!! This movie was garbage for all the reasons you suggest and more.
In the scenes where he was alllowed the flexibility to be funny or quirky, it just came off as insincere and spastic. We know Don Cheadle is a good actor. We do not need a movie like this to point that out.
Mike's movies are just akwards while at the same time being difficult to watch. I didn't like the Upside of Anger, and I would be cautious recommending anything he's done.
It was good to see Saffron Burrows. She's hot! To know she's still acting at her age is always a reminder that women over 40 have a place in Hollywood.
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