Reservation Road

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Elle Fanning, Mira Sorvino
Directed by: Terry George
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Joaquin Phoenix) and his wife (Jennifer Connelly) suffer a terrible tragedy when their son is killed in a hit-and-run accident. They hire a lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) to assist with the case, but little do they know, he is the one responsible for their son's death.

Review:

Tim: I was blown away by how emotional this movie is. Terry George has directed emotional movies before- Hotel Rwanda was great. Here, he trades in a war-torn country for a regular suburban family. The film has a number of terrific performances, and is surprisingly effective. Make no mistake, this is a very good movie.

The film deals with an absolutely heartbreaking topic- a family torn apart by the wrongful death of their son. I can't imagine the pain people in this situation go through. This is all bad enough, but events get far more complicated. Surprisingly, this all comes across as very believable. Some incredible events occur in the film, but they are done in a very realistic manner. That is the source of much of the film's power- this could happen to anyone.

Joaquin Phoenix gives a very emotional performance. This guy is a heck of an actor, and he shows that here. Mark Ruffalo gives an equally good performance. The best scenes of the film involve these two men interacting. They are excellent together and exude raw emotion. Their scenes are incredibly memorable. Jennifer Connelly gives a good performance, but I wish she had more to do.

Reservation Road is an incredible movie about a very difficult topic. This isn't the easiest movie to watch, but it is powerful and quite frightening because of how easily this could happen. This is a fascinating look at how regular people deal with overwhelming tragedy. It is a movie that you will not soon forget. And, surprisingly, it has a few lessons about life as well.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hotel Rwanda, Walk the Line, We Own the Night, Zodiac