Ryan McNeil
RESERVATION ROAD (* * 1/2) was a late addition…mostly because it looked alright and fit into a gap I had in my schedule. The movie actually has quite the cast, including Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, Mark Ruffalo, and Mira Sorvino. The story is set very early on, so I’m not worried about giving much away. Ruffalo plays Dwight Arno, a Connecticut attorney who accidentally kills The Learners’ (Phoenix and Connelly) son in a hit and run. He doesn’t have a good reason for not stopping and fleeing the scene – basically he just panics. As the police investigation stalls, Learner looks to get an attorney for help in bringing the motorist to justice. Through pure dumb luck, he hires Arno.
The rest of the movie, it’s just a waiting game to see how long Arno can keep from getting found out. The story isn’t a bad one – though a bit implausible. I was happy some watch some decent drama, after my boredom with DEATH DEFYING ACTS yesterday. If anything stuck out for me, it was Ruffalo’s performance. Watching him trying to conceal his guilt, panic, and fear was actually worth the early start.
I would write more about the actual screening experience, but aside from the fact that it started at 9:30, you wouldn’t really know that it was a film festival selection. The movie hits theatres in late October, and is worth checking out.
This is one I can’t wait to see bc of the cast, & Mark R. can never go wrong.