Ryan McNeil
There ought to be a category for the anti-whodunit. Films that tell a tale like a Bizarro Agatha Christie. Take for example THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD. You know who dies, you know how that person dies, and you even know who did it. The suspense is all in waiting to see how the whole moment comes to be.The genre would be a direct tribute to what Hitchcock said about the bomb under the table. If such a genre were actually named, RESERVATION ROAD would go towards the top of the stack.
The story begins with Ethan and Grace Learner (Jennifer Connelly and Joaquin Phoenix), a Connecticut couple who are driving home on Reservation Road one autumn evening. That same night, attorney Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo) is late dropping off his son Lucas to his ex-wife Ruth (Mira Sorvino). Their relationship is a tense one, and as his anxiety and frustration about being late rises, he starts to speed down Reservation Road himself. Before he knows what has happened, Arno accidentally hits the Learners’ son, killing him almost instantly. He panics, and takes off, leaving Learner screaming after him as the only witness to what has happened.
The police begin to investigate, but as days turn to weeks, and the investigation trail goes cold, the Learners become impatient and hire an attorney. In a neat twist of fate, they hire Arno. Arno knows who Learner is right off the bat, but of course Learner has no clue who he’s just employed. As the days go on, and the investigation continues, Arno writhes with guilt as he wonders how long it will take before his client, his ex-wife, and his son all find out about his terrible secret.
Leraner’s pain is written all over his face; he withdraws from his wife, he spaces out at work, he seems to be consumed with finding the man responsible. As often happens, he and his wife are grieving in different ways. Grace is trying to keep a brave face, but feels alone. She mostly feels alone because Ethan’s obsession takes up so much time and energy, but most of that time and energy is spent online on message boards and groups for parents who have lost children. In not sharing his grief with his wife, he is driving a stake through their relationship. This sort of situation is difficult to put into a movie, because everyone would deal with things differently. For me, the silent, simmering situation shown in Todd Fields’ IN THE BEDROOM felt closer to home, but for some, the yelling and heartache of The Learners might be bang on.
Arno on the other hand has to hide his emotions, and struggles sometime to do so. From the moment he meets Learner, he knows that he will have to appear determined and concerned, while inside he’s trying to remain vague and evasive. He talks face to face with Learner, offering professional counsel althewhile looking like he wants to start crying the moment his client leaves. As each day passes, he has to put on a braver face for everyone around him; his client, his boss, his ex-wife, and his son. Ruffalo doesn’t develop a facial tick or a case of the shakes, but he subtly shows how heavy the weight on his shoulders is getting in every scene.
The crux of RESERVATION ROAD isn’t whether or not Arno will get found out, but how and when. The movie is paced very well, so that while it gives Arno time to twist in the wind, it doesn’t leave him twisting out there for hours on end. A story like this leaves a big margin for error – screw up that payoff, and your audience won’t be happy for wasting $12 of their money and two hours of their time. I see it as a similar situation to a crime mystery movie where the criminal’s motive is a weak one. Thankfully, the culmination of this story is satisfying and truthful, and a fitting fate for our white-collared villain. High marks must be given to director Terry George, who is helming his second feature after 2005’s moving HOTEL RWANDA. George has a gift for getting subtle passion out of his actors, and conveying a lot of pain with a minimal amount of bawling.
The story of RESERVATION ROAD is back dropped by The Boston Red Sox improbable 2004 playoff run. Lucas is a die-hard fan, the sort of twelve year old whose room is adorned with posters and pennants. Before 2004, the team hadn’t won a championship in 86 years. A team like that requires an inordinate amount of faith. For an entire month, Lucas’ life, love, and passion is revolving around two things; The Red Sox, and his father. His faith in the former will be almost impossibly rewarded. On the other hand, his faith in the latter stands to be irrevocably shattered. As the story plays out, it becomes abundantly clear that it isn’t a matter of if, it’s only a question of when.