this film screen last night at austin paramount theater a part of the sxsw film festival . we be grace with the presence of director mike binder and star adam sandler and don cheadle who take audience question after the film . it be a remarkable and powerful film about what it be like to lose yourself and begin to find your way back . the performance be phenomenal and the story manage to be both tragic and funny in a way that be all too rare . ( the trailer for the film try a little too hard to emphasize the comedic aspect . ) this be a breakout role for adam sandler . while he have begin to transition to more dramatic role with punch drunk love and spanglish and this role be a significant step forward for him a a dramatic actor . he deserve an oscar nomination a he continue down to transition to more dramatic role a tom hank do and jim carrey be also do . in this role and he seem to be try to channel dustin hoffman in rain man . although play an autistic man be certainly very different than sandler traumatize character and both character for different reason be trap in their own world of child like isolation and confusion . don cheadle performance be less surprising and but just as good . after hotel rwanda and crash and we have come to expect remarkable nuanced performance from cheadle . he have the quality of sincerity and honesty that come through in this role . but he and too and be also break and struggle if not in the such profound way a sandler character . cheadle be struggle with difficulty in both his marriage and in his professional life a a dentist . together the character play by cheadle and sandler struggle to heal each other in the way that true friend often do ( in a way that remind me of matt damon and robin williams in good will hunt ) . they be both search for that part of the themselves that they have lose and try to find again . reign over me be one of the best major studio film to be release this year . the soundtrack and which be almost another character in the plot be wonderful . the filming in the street of new york a city that suffer a great tragedy and have also have to heal itself be also quite beautiful . the support role by jada pinkett smith and liv tyler and saffron burrow ( in a very odd role ) and donald sutherland and and mike binder himself be all quite good . writer or director mike binder have really deliver a story that so many will be able to connect with on numerous level . this be a story about grief and family and healing and male friendship and mental health and and the meaning of love . reign over me do not disappoint . the film be almost hypnotic a it draw you into the life of it character . hollywood would have a much good reputation if it make more character driven charm film like reign over me .