Mike Binder, a director of TV-sized smarm, continues to dismantle his own best effects
Reign Over Me (2007)
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Reviews Counted:147
Fresh:93
Rotten:54
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Reign Over Me is a charming, affecting tale of friendship and loss, with solid performances from top to bottom.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and some sexual references.
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 23, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $19,661,987
Synopsis: Demonstrating the same understanding of the complexities of human relationships that characterized his 2006 film, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER, and his short-lived HBO series, THE MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN,... Demonstrating the same understanding of the complexities of human relationships that characterized his 2006 film, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER, and his short-lived HBO series, THE MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN, writer/director Mike Binder once again taps into the same fertile ground in this story of one man's difficulty reconnecting with the world after experiencing a great tragedy. In another role showcasing his relatively untapped talent for dramatic roles, Adam Sandler is Charlie Fineman, a New York dentist whose post-traumatic stress caused by the loss of his wife and children on 9/11 sees him regressing to a sort of second childhood dominated by videogames, record collecting, and riding his motor scooter around the city. A chance run-in with his former college roommate, fellow dentist, and family man Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) spurs Charlie's first attempts at remembering his past. But though Alan is genuinely glad to try and help Charlie, it will take more than the company of a good friend to get Charlie back to the world. Striking just the right balance between comedy and pathos, Binder's script elicits another great performance from Cheadle, and allows Sandler to continue to prove that he's capable of far more than the comedies that made him a box-office superstar. They are accompanied by a stellar supporting cast including Jada Pinkett Smith as Alan's vigilant wife, Janeane; Liv Tyler as the therapist who finally gives Charlie a healthy outlet for his grief; and Saffron Burrows as a neurotic patient of Alan's. Though REIGN OVER ME could be classified as a post-9/11 film, Binder never belabors or exploits the point and never actually mentions the event by name. The stunning New York location shots look as lovely as any in cinematic memory. [More]
Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler
Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
Director: Mike Binder
Director: Mike Binder
Screenwriter: Mike Binder
Producer: Jack Binder, Michael Rotenberg
Composer: Rolfe Kent
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Release:
Aug 4, 2009
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.40
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
- Subtitles - Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
Features:
- 1. Jam Session With Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle
- 2. Behind The Reign
- 3. A Still Reign
Reviews for Reign Over Me
Reign Over Me is like spending two hours with a shrink. Self-absorbed and repetitive, it has an occasional moment of truth, and a lot of hot air.
It's a gripping and very sad glimpse at grief and it's lasting effects on us when we truly lose something we cherish...
Reign Over Me is not morose or depressing, there's a whole lot of joy in this film.
The main problem is Reign Over Me always skirts around the issue instead of tackling it head on. Depression and loss are hell, and hopefully friends can be there to bring you out of it.
Like the characters populating it, this film leaves us with a sense that something is missing, but it's still smart, compelling, offbeat, and worth seeing.
Has its heart in the right place, and its message that everyone should be able to grieve in their own time is admirable, but Mr. Binder doesn't have enough to say to sustain the film's running time.
Performances by Sandler and Cheadle give the film enough of what it needs in order to recommend it.
This is a rather glossy confection, extremely well performed, in which everyone's problems are perfectly resolved.
This film manages to be not just bearable, but on occasion actually quite affecting.
Without Sandler, Reign Over Me would be a gloopy, post-9/11 love-in, making cavalier use of a fine but helpless cast.
It’s as if 9/11 was simply coopted to bring an extra weight to a script that couldn’t be trusted to deliver on its own.
A self-indulgent addition to American cinema's post-9/11 cinema, Reign Over Me sees Sandler over-reaching himself in a straight-faced role.
Cheadle’s finest hour and proof that Sandler can act. Funny, sad and flawed — like its characters.
Has a good heart, and does some things very well, but may bore passive audiences
Director Mike Binder has twigged on to the fact that if you root Sandler’s genially churlish moron act into a more sober foundation, a vulnerable, believable and even lovable character can begin to emerge.
Emotionally engaging, superbly acted drama with a terrific script and impressive direction from writer-director Mike Binder.
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