The red carpet unfurls
By Erin Steele
March 15, 2007
SXSW rolled out the red carpet Wednesday night for stars Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle as they premiered their new film "Reign Over Me" to a packed house at the Paramount Theater.
The film, directed by Mike Binder, tells the story of former college roommates Charlie Fineman (Sandler) and Alan Johnson (Cheadle) who meet again by chance in Manhattan. A formerly successful dentist, Charlie retreats from his life after his family is killed in the 9/11 attacks, while Alan becomes overwhelmed with his responsibilities at home. Their rekindled friendship becomes the only thing that keeps the two men afloat.
Binder, a writer, director and actor, attended SXSW in 2001 with his feature film "The Search for John Gissing." Sandler and Cheadle participated in a Q&A after the screening (more on that later).
Preceding the "Reign" screening was "The Lather Effect," an "Anniversary Party" meets "The Big Chill" take on friends who grew up together in the decade of greed a reunite for an '80s-themed shindig. Directed by "Full Tilt Boogie" helmer Sarah Kelly and starring Connie Britton, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan and Ione Skye, among others, the film failed to live up to the films that inspired it, but still managed to draw its fair share of laughs from the crowd.
Another film that drew huge crowds on Wednesday was "Orphans," which took home the SXSW audience award the night before. A story of two estranged sisters who reunite at their family home for a birthday party, the film was a chilling look at the ties that bind and how those ties can often come unraveled. Director Ry Russo-Young participated in a Q&A after the screening.
But perhaps the best film of the day (at least that I saw -- I can't be everywhere, folks), was the documentary "Truth in Terms of Beauty," which chornicles the life and career of famed portrait photographer Herman Leonard. The humble Leonard tells of how each of his world-famous portraits came to be -- from stills of jazz musicians to Playboy covergirls to opium dems and third-world prostitutes, Leonard infuses his work with a reverance for all the world has to offer, and often seems just as amazed as we are that he was able to capture such incredibly candid images.
Now 84 and living in Los Angeles (after being displaced from his New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina), Leonard continues to work. Anyone unfamiliar with his art would be wise to acquaint themselves.
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