Love hurts. That, I think, is the main message Mike Binder's newest film Reign Over Me brings across. Whether that love has caused your relationship to become stagnant, or has brought anger from the one you love cheating for years, or has broken your heart to the point of being unable to open yourself up to the world, love hurts. The great thing about this film, however, is not in its portrayal of these lost souls trying to let their past heartbreaks go, but in the eventual restart of new bonds for the future. No one in this drama is perfect; they are all at some degree trapped emotionally in relationships that they can't free themselves from alone. There is some heavy subject material here and I credit Binder for never making the story turn into a political diatribe, but instead infusing the serious moments with some real nice comedic bits allowing the tale to stay character-based and small in scale compared to the epic event that looms overhead. What could have become a trite vehicle for opinions on how 9-11 effected us all, ends up being a story about two men and a connection they share that is the only thing which can save their lives from a life of depression and regret.

This is a new career performance for Adam Sandler. I like to think that my favorite director Paul Thomas Anderson was the first to see the childish, pent-up anger in his stupid comedies as something to use dramatically. The juvenility of a character like Billy Madison allows for laughs and potty humor, but also can be used to show a repressed man, shy and shutout to the world around him—a man with no confidence that needs an event of compassion to break him from his shell. Anderson let Sandler do just that in his masterpiece Punch-Drunk Love and Mike Binder has taken it one step further. Sandler plays former dentist Charlie Fineman whose wife and three kids were killed in one of the planes that took down the World Trade Center on 9-11. That one moment crushed any life that he had and as a result, he became reclusive and started to believe he couldn't remember anything that happened before that day. He really delivers a moving portrait of a man trying to keep up the charade in his head while those around him, those that love him, try and open him up to the reality of what happened and what the future holds. Always on edge and ready to snap at any moment when something is mentioned to spark the memory of his perished family, he goes through life with his iPod and headphones, shutting out everything so as not to be tempted remember.

Reign Over Me is not about Charlie Fineman though, it is about dentist and family man Alan Johnson. A man that has trapped himself into a marriage and dental practice that both have stagnated into monotony, Johnson needs as much help in his life as his old college roommate Charlie does. Played perfectly by the always brilliant Don Cheadle, Johnson has lost his backbone to try and change his life. He has no friends and when he sees Charlie, by chance, one day, his life evolves into something he hasn't felt in 15 years. He revels in the chance to go out with an old friend no matter how much he has changed from the death of his family. Cheadle's character wants to revert back to the college days of hanging out and Sandler's doesn't mind because all that was before he met his wife. The two men get what they want and allow themselves to grow close despite the years of solitude that used to rule their lives. Once they begin opening up though, it is inevitable that the subject of the tragedy will creep up and test the façade they have created for themselves.

The supporting cast does an amazing job helping keep up appearances for the two leads. Jada Pinkett Smith has never been an actress that impressed me and throughout the film played the tough as nails wife nicely, but it is her final scene on the phone with Cheadle that really showed me something different and true. Liv Tyler is a bit out of her element as a psychiatrist, but the movie calls her on this fact and makes the miscasting, perfect casting. The many small cameos are also effective, even writer/director Mike Binder's role as Sandler's old best friend and accountant, (my only gripe here is why he feels the need to put his name in the opening credits as an actor when it is everywhere, considering it is his film). Last but not least is the beautiful Saffron Burrows. She is a great actress and plays the love- crushed divorcée trying to put her life back together wonderfully. A role that seems comic relief at first, but ends up being an integral aspect for what is to come.

Binder has crafted one of the best dramatic character studies I have seen in a long time. The direction is almost flawless, (the blurring between cuts and characters in the fore/ background really annoyed me in the beginning),the acting superb, and the story true to itself, never taking the easy way out or wrapping itself up with a neatly tied bow at the conclusion. Even the music was fantastic and used to enhance, not to lead us emotionally, (why after two great uses of the titular song by The Who did Binder feel the need to use the inferior Eddie Veddar remake for the end, I don't know, but it did unfortunately stick out for me). Reign Over Me is a film about love and how although it can cause the worst pain imaginable, it can also save us from regret and allow us to once again see the world as a place of beauty and hope.

Greetings again from the darkness. How rare it is for a film to examine the lost soul of men in pain. Adam Sandler stars as Charlie, a man who lost his family in the 9/11 tragedy, and has since lost his career, his reason to live and arguably, his sanity. Don Cheadle co-stars as Sandler's former Dental School roommate who appears to have the perfect life (that Sandler apparently had prior to 9/11).

Of course the parallels in these men's lives are obvious, but it is actually refreshing to see men's feelings on display in a movie ... feelings other than lust and revenge, that is. Watching how they actually help each other by just being there is painful and heartfelt. Writer/Director Mike Binder ("The Upside of Anger", and Sandler's accountant in this film) really brings a different look and feel to the film. Some of the scenes don't work as well as others, but overall it is well written and solidly directed.

Sandler and Cheadle are both excellent. Sandler's character reminds a bit of his fine performance in "Punch Drunk Love", but here he brings much more depth. Cheadle is always fine and does a nice job of expressing the burden he carries ... just by watching him work a jigsaw puzzle.

Support work is excellent by Jada Pinkett Smith (as Cheadle's wife),Liv Tyler (as a very patient psychiatrist),Saffron Burrows (in an oddly appealing role),Donald Sutherland as an irritated judge and Melinda Dillon and Robert Klein as Sandler's in-laws.

The film really touches on how the tragic events of that day affected one man so deeply that he is basically ruined. In addition to the interesting story and some great shots of NYC, you have to love any film that features vocals from Chrissy Hynde, Bruce Springsteen and Roger Daltrey ... as well as Eddie Vedder impersonating Daltrey. Not exactly a chipper upbeat film, but it is a quality film with an unusual story.

Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the films of Adam Sandler. My problem is that the first couple films of his I saw were rather dreadful--at least in parts. While very successful in theaters, BILLY MADISON and HAPPY GILMORE were just too sophomoric and formulaic for anyone over age 25 to enjoy. Then, however, I saw WATERBOY. It, too, was stupid and formulaic but also managed to make me laugh--something the other two films only rarely did. Then, came the abomination that was LITTLE NICKY. Not only was it sophomoric, but it was also incredibly crude and stupid, so I just assumed WATERBOY was a mistake. I convinced myself that Sandler was as non-talented as I had assumed.

Call me a masochist, but some time later, I found myself watching THE WEDDING SINGER. I was amazed. Not only was it a wonderful film, but instead of playing the same brain-dead sort of guy yet again, he was very likable, romantic AND still funny. I really liked the film. I also felt similarly about 50 FIRST DATES and liked, though a bit less, CLICK. I found that I actually liked quite a few Sandler films but still felt he was a bit limited in his appeal.

Tonight, I was shocked. While Sandler was lovely in these last three films, he was still essentially a comedian...albeit with the ability to do romantic-comedy as well...or so I thought. Now, Sandler did something that many comedians can't--he made an excellent drama. In fact, when I read one reviewer that suggested that the man actually did a good enough performance that he could have easily been nominated for an Oscar, I realized he was right--he was exceptional and I have almost nothing to complain about in this film. It was finally an adult Adam Sandler film--one that finally let go of the low-brow and goofy Sandler style of movie making. Now I assume that many viewers hated the film as they probably WERE looking for the old style film. This movie probably won't appeal to them or the average teen.

I won't bother to rehash the plot--there are already a bazillion reviews that have done this. Instead, as a trained psychotherapist, I want to talk a bit about the psychological aspects of the movie. Sandler's character was realistic. While most don't deal with loss anything like his character did, it was possible and the way he avoided his past is consistent with some people. And, while SOME therapists might assume that someone in this situation must talk about his past (something Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral therapists might not do),I appreciated how at the end this was not the major thrust of the film. Instead, he began working on creating a healthy new identity--not a bad option in such a case. The only negative feedback about the treatment he receives is that no one really tries to get him into a therapy group--usually the best type of treatment in a case like this.

As for the film, it's very touching, extremely well acted and brilliant from start to finish. Be warned, though, that this film isn't exactly enjoyable--but is more of an excellent character study. Don Cheadle and the rest are also quite good and I can't recommend the film highly enough. Great job.