Movies: Reign Over Me

It seems every once in awhile Adam Sandler takes a break from fare like "The Waterboy" or "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" to try his hand at a serious role. His most recent foray into this territory was "Reign Over Me," a film in which he plays Charlie Fineman, a man trying to cope with the death of his entire family in the 9/11 attacks.

As you can see from the trailer, Alan Johnson (played by Don Cheadle, who is quickly becoming an A-list dramatic actor) is a man with a problem - Charlie Fineman. While Fineman jams on the drums, plays "Shadow of the Colossus," and generally hangs out all night, he is also alone and lost, seemingly cut off from all friends and family.

To its credit, the film never drags. Unfortunately, while the pacing is steady, the plot is not, feeling more like an after-school special than any kind of real commentary about the life of a man dealing with mental illness. The tidy conclusion that features British knockout Saffron Burrows is hopeful, but a bit too saccharine for my taste.

Rating: 6/10