Let the tears 'Reign'

"Reign Over Me" is one of the first movies Hollywood has produced detailing the emotional destruction the 9/11 attacks brought upon everyday people. Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) is a 9/11 widower who lost his wife and three daughters to the attacks and Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) is a successful dentist who was Charlie's roommate in college. Charlie lives in a protected fantasy world in which his family never existed and Alan is trying to get Charlie to face his demons and remember.\nThe movie was shot on location in NYC and provides authenticity for a story rooted deeply in one man's fantasy. The music is great and in some moments adds to the tension of mood of the film. Charlie collects vinyl records and music buffs will love to hear his dialogue about The Pretenders and Bruce Springsteen.\nWhile it is fashionable to knock a comic actor who takes a serious role, Sandler has done it before in "Punch-Drunk Love," and he pulls it off again with this movie. Sandler breathes life into his character by playing him with a vacant glaze over his eyes and a happy-go-lucky sadness. Alan is a successful dentist, but something in his life is missing. He finds happiness in hanging out in "Charlie World." Cheadle is a great and versatile actor and meshes well with Sandler's over-the-top performance.\nWhile the acting is top-notch, the story is thin and relies too much on the characters. There are times when the rhythm of the story is interrupted and feels disjointed. Charlie is delusional and at times maniacal, but the audience only sees it in spurts. One minute the audience is sickened by his destructive behavior, the next minute their eyes are welling up when confronted with his pain. Also, it is also hard to tell who is a friend of Charlie and who is just enabling him.\n"Reign Over Me" is a decent movie that truly stirs emotions within the audience. You will laugh out loud and perhaps audibly sob. Despite not having any real conclusion, the movie ends with hope. "Reign Over Me" shows how beautiful humanity is and can be.