Sandler Could Get Oscar Nod for "Reign Over Me"

I must admit, I wasn't too excited to see this movie. Adam Sandler doing a serious movie wasn't something I was sure he was capable of doing well. Just thinking of all his incredibly silly comedies, it was hard to even imagine him being a serious actor.

Boy, he proved me wrong.

The movie started off almost incredibly strange. It is not shown, but just mentioned that Sandler's character, Charlie Fineman, lost his wife, 3 daughters, and dog in the second airplane that crashes into the World Trade Centers. I couldn't really understand why Charlie was such a psycho, but I've never lost my spouse and children, so how can I be a true judge of that? I've always said I'd die if I lost even one of my children, so who's to say I wouldn't go psycho.

Don Cheadle plays Charlie's old college roommate, Alan Johnson, from dental school. Cheadle does an amazing job of playing this heartwarming friend. Alan Johnson is just simply bored with his own life and is constantly letting his wife and colleagues walk all over him. Alan is reunited with his old friend, Charlie, on the street one evening in New York City. That's where you realize just how incredibly crazy Charlie Fineman is. He doesn't even know his college roommate of two years. He has worked that hard to remember anything from his past in order to numb his future.

Eventually, the two of them hang out more and more. Alan wants nothing more than to see Charlie get the help he needs, but Charlie becomes completely enraged anytime anyone tries to help him out. He just wants to live in his bubble and not think about it.

When Charlie does finally open up to someone, it's Alan. This is where Sandler really takes the cake with his performance. The way he describes the death of his wife and children, you are put right in his shoes. His tears are not forced, as some comedians trying to be serious try to push out. No, his emotions are so real, you'd think Sandler was talking about his own wife and child dying. You felt every ounce of his pain as he described seeing his family die as that plane hit the building. My heart ached for him.

As the viewer, you want more than anything to see Charlie rehabilitated, but having him open up to Alan just made his pain that much more fresh. So fresh that he hits rock bottom.

I was not a fan of how this movie ended. I wanted the typical Hollywood "happy ending", but this ending seemed a bit more "real life", and you have to remember that as you watch it. I'm glad it ended that way now.

I will not be surprised if Sandler earns awards for his performance in "Reign Over Me". He made the viewer feel every ounce of his pain, and that is what an award winning actor must accomplish in his job.

Although the movie seemed to drag a bit and seem a little "odd", I give it Three and a Half out of Five Tiaras on the "Amy Gayle Scale". That means I would watch it again, but not sure I'd buy it. I recommend that everyone watch it just to see what a true genius Adam Sandler is in this movie!