love hurt . that and i think and be the main message mike binder new film reign over me bring across . whether that love have cause your relationship to become stagnant and or have bring anger from the one you love cheat for year and or have break your heart to the point of be unable to open yourself up to the world and love hurt . the great thing about this film and however and be not in it portrayal of these lose soul try to let their past heartbreak go and but in the eventual restart of new bond for the future . no one in this drama be perfect while they be all at some degree trap emotionally in relationship that they can not free themselves from alone . there be some heavy subject material here and i credit binder for never make the story turn into a political diatribe and but instead infuse the serious moment with some real nice comedic bit allow the tale to stay character base and small in scale compare to the epic event that loom overhead . what could have become a trite vehicle for opinion on how 9 11 effect u all and end up be a story about two men and a connection they share that be the only thing which can save their life from a life of depression and regret . this be a new career performance for adam sandler . i like to think that my favorite director paul thomas anderson be the first to see the childish and pent up anger in his stupid comedy a something to use dramatically . the juvenility of a character like billy madison allows for laugh and potty humor and but also can be use to show a repressed man and shy and shutout to the world around hima man with no confidence that need 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 have take it one step far . sandler play former dentist charlie fineman whose wife and three kid be kill in one of the plane that take down the world trade center on 9 11. that one moment crush any life that he have and a a result and he become reclusive and start to believe he couldn not remember anything that happen before that day . he really deliver a move portrait of a man try to keep up the charade in his head while those around him and those that love him and try and open him up to the reality of what happen and what the future hold . always on edge and ready to snap at any moment when something be mention to spark the memory of his perish family and he go through life with his ipod and headphone and shut out everything so a not to be tempt remember . reign over me be not about charlie fineman though and it be about dentist and family man alan johnson . a man that have trap himself into a marriage and dental practice that both have stagnate into monotony and johnson need a much help in his life a his old college roommate charlie do . play perfectly by the always brilliant don cheadle and johnson have lose his backbone to try and change his life . he have no friend and when he see charlie and by chance and one day and his life evolve into something he hasn not felt in 15 year . he revel in the chance to go out with an old friend no matter how much he have change from the death of his family . cheadle character want to revert back to the college day of hang out and sandler doesn not mind because all that be before he meet his wife . the two men get what they want and allow themselves to grow close despite the year of solitude that use to rule their life . once they begin open up though and it be inevitable that the subject of the tragedy will creep up and test the façade they have create for themselves . the support cast do an amazing job help keep up appearance for the two lead . jada pinkett smith have never be an actress that impress me and throughout the film play the tough a nails wife nicely and but it be her final scene on the phone with cheadle that really show me something different and true . liv tyler be a bit out of her element a a psychiatrist and but the movie call her on this fact and make the miscasting and perfect casting . the many small cameo be also effective and even writer or director mike binder role a sandler old best friend and accountant and ( my only gripe here be why he feel the need to put his name in the opening credit a an actor when it be everywhere and consider it be his film ) . last but not least be the beautiful saffron burrow . she be a great actress and play the love crush divorcée try to put her life back together wonderfully . a role that seem comic relief at first and but end up be an integral aspect for what be to come . binder have craft one of the best dramatic character study i have see in a long time . the direction be almost flawless and ( the blurring between cut and character in the fore or background really annoy me in the beginning ) and the act superb and and the story true to itself and never take the easy way out or wrap itself up with a neatly tie bow at the conclusion . even the music be fantastic and use to enhance and not to lead u emotionally and ( why after two great us of the titular song by the who do binder feel the need to use the inferior eddie veddar remake for the end and i do not know and but it do unfortunately stick out for me ) . reign over me be a film about love and how although it can cause the bad pain imaginable and it can also save u from regret and allow u to once again see the world a a place of beauty and hope .