Don Cheadle: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

4. Alan Johnson - Reign Over Me (2007)

If anyone else was in the title role, the heart-breaking, gut-wrenching drama of Reign Over Me would be legitimately adored. As it is, the tender, affectionate tale of loss, redemption and friendship is classed solely as That Adam Sandler 9/11 film by people with tiny minds and limited imagination.

Putting aside the casually silly conceit that Cheadle's dentist keeps getting propositioned for blowjobs by a patient, his performance is another that succeeds because it offers some much needed balance. Alongside Sandler's most volatile performance, Cheadle is a picture of reservation and restraint, quietly weighing up his own problems against the vast mess of Sandler's Charlie's life.

Those problems might be cliched, but it is to Cheadle's eternal credit that his performance transcends the material's limits to make the role entirely worthwhile. He's not swallowed up in someone else's story, he's the driver of it.

Yes, the film is exploitative of emotional material, but the story-telling is great and the central relationship between Cheadle and Sandler is charming, believable and feels substantial.