Grade: A | On the morning of September 11, 2001, Charlie Fineman’s (Adam Sandler) family was taken from him. Six years later, he remains a lost and broken man. He has withdrawn both from society and from himself by blocking out memories that remind him of his tragic loss. He moves through the film much like a ghost – drifting, almost in a daze, through life. When he isn’t listening to his iPod, an ever-present necessity for him to function, he shuts himself away in his apartment. That is, until his old college roommate, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), enters his life once again.

When one attempts to picture Fineman’s character, it’s doubtful that Sandler’s face jumps instantly to mind. For someone who gained notoriety through sophomoric comedic stunts prevalent and popular in the ‘90s, it seems as though a role like this would be way outside the sphere of his acting ability. And while it’s true he has a couple dramatic roles under his belt (“Punch-Drunk Love,” “Spanglish”), “Reign Over Me” is like nothing he has attempted before.

Amazingly, however, Sandler has beaten the odds.

In a surprising and breathtaking performance, he is able to embody Fineman wholly. When the audience looks at him, they don’t see Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison or even Sandler himself. They see Charlie Fineman – someone who has lost everything and is desperately trying to keep his sanity. More often than not, it is what he doesn’t say that is the most striking: Fineman looks out at the viewer from the screen, and his intense, disarming gaze says everything.

And who can forget Cheadle? As usual, he’s believable and entirely sympathetic. As the story progresses, his character increasingly personifies the feelings and emotions the audience experiences simultaneously, whether it be confusion, anxiety, worry or frustration. He is the perfect counterpart to Sandler.

The story itself is at the same time heartbreaking and uplifting, and will leave audiences speechless.