Director: Mike Binder

Reviewer: Russell Clark

Reign on me is the poignant tale of Charlie Fineman, played by Adam Sandler, who lost his family in the 9/11 attacks on New York City (a wife and three daughters) and is not just struggling to cope, but has lost all grip on reality. Financially independent thanks to government compensation cash, he no longer needs to work and spends his time avoiding all human contact, collecting vinyl and playing video games.

A chance meeting with his old college roommate, played by Don Cheadle, gives Charlie the opportunity to get back some semblance of a life.

I wouldn’t call this a feel good movie as such, because you feel quite shit for almost the entire duration of the movie. However, Sandler’s impressive bursts of psychotic anger as he refuses to approach the topics which so hurt him are worth the money it cost to hire this movie.

This movie does not dwell considerably on the 9/11 event itself, there are no stock movie scenes of that terrible day, but the strong performance of Sandler more than attests to the grief which so many widows and widowers must have felt post-attack.

Cheadle’s performance is solid – can this actor do no wrong? He takes it upon himself to help his former roomie back to a healthy mental state and simultaneously rekindles a bond with a male friend – something he has lost through being married. Solid performances from Jada Pinkett Smith, and a cameo role by Donald Sutherland at the end make up a solid cast.

This movie pulls all the right heart strings without being overly sentimental. Hire it.