Listonixio
Fresh and Exciting
Kidskycom
It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Juana
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
SnoopyStyle
College professor Ethan Learner (Joaquin Phoenix), his wife Grace, their son Joah and daughter Emma (Elle Fanning) stop at a gas station late at night. Josh gets out. Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo) accidentally runs him over and drive away. Dwight is a divorced dad afraid of losing the limited custody of his son. Ethan is impatient for progress in the police investigation. He hires lawyers and Dwight turns out to be an associate in the firm. As the investigation tightens, the question becomes what what Ethan do when he finds the perpetrator.The actors are some of the best. The material is an unrelenting grind. It insists on pounding the emotional darkness. It is heavy. It also refuses to take sides. However, the crushing load doesn't lead to a satisfying ending. It's a long straight grind with some terrific actors doing good work. The ending could have gone several different ways but it seems to have taken the straight ahead main road.
Chrysanthepop
Terry George has already established a name for himself as a writer and director. His previous directorial venture, 'Hotel Rwanda' tells the poignant story of Paul Rusesabagina's courageous attempt to rescue thousands of Rwandans during a genocide that was largely ignored by the world. With 'Reservation Road' he tells a harrowing story of one of the worst kinds of losses experienced by humans (especially parents) the loss of a child.John Burnham Schwartz adapts his own novel and his screenplay is rich in detail, story and character development. George doesn't only touch on the issue of grief but also on anger, obsession, revenge, guilt and taking responsibility that result from such severe loss. The tension he builds through atmosphere and interaction of actors, the poetic flow, stunning cinematography and soundtrack all come together beautifully. In addition the viewer is kept in suspense.The emotions and reactions displayed by the performers are very raw and appear very natural. All the actors do nothing short of superb, even though the film mainly belongs to Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix (both are exceptional as they deliver one of the best of their careers). Jennifer Connelly is remarkable and Elle Fanning is brilliant. Mira Sorvino provides adequate support in a small role.Emotionally engaging, engrossing and layered, 'Reservation Road' successfully involves the viewer and lingers in mind long after the closing credits have rolled. It's a shame that the film was poorly marketed (even with a huge starcast) and got overlooked by people.
Karl Ericsson
An extremely stressed father inadvertently runs over another father's son with his car. He cannot stop because he is late delivering his son to his mother and he is afraid he might loose custody of his son because of that.Now, if this was a movie that made the case that sons ought to be with their fathers first in a divorce - if all other things being equal - then this would have been a good movie. Needless to say, that question doesn't even pop up in this mess.It is quite clear in the movie that the father in the split family really has reason to believe that he might loose his son completely if he is late. He has to wager this against the fact that he is escaping from the scene of the accident, where, it is equally clear, he cannot be of any additional help then the help already given.In spite of this, he is later prepared to give himself up, when he has just had time to prepare his son a little for the prison time he is most likely to absorb. With that little hope of being able to come together with his son again, he is fully prepared to take any sentence society or the dead son's father wants to take out, except (maybe!) death, since that, again, would mean that he could not see his son.So, what's the point with this film? Despair for the sake of despair?? The theme is clear: Boys should be with their fathers - that's the way the free spirit in them isn't killed off by having to adopt to the lovers of their mother (and her, probable contra-revolutionary bull of having a fine home rather than having a fine society). In this film, that theme is not even touched upon and we are just left with the meaningless despair of men avoiding a most necessary revolt.
Combat-Carl
Such an incredible movie Personally it's Joquain Pheonix's best film. The acting is brilliant. Mark Ruffalo plays a brilliant killer who you really feel sorry for. Joquain Pheonix plays a incredible grief stricken dad. Jennifer Connelly plays a traumatic wife and Elle Fanning plays a emotionally torn sister.Reservation Road follows 2 families. The first family consists of a father (Dwight Arno, Mark Ruffalo) and son (Lucas, Eddie Alderson (I Think)) who are only together for a day because Dwight has lost custody of Lucas. They are returning home from a baseball game and are stuck in traffic to Lucas's mum's annoyance. The second family consist of husband (Ethan Learner, Joquain Phoenix), wife (Grace, Jennifer Connelly) son, (Josh, Sean Curley) and daughter (Emma, Elle Fanning) who are returning from a day out. They stop off at a gas station and Josh runs out onto the road (Reservation Road) and is run over and killed by Dwight who continues driving. Cue a brutally sad scene. The Learner family decide to get legal help so they hire a lawyer. The lawyer is Dwight, Josh's killer, and Ethan didn't see Dwight that night so everything is fine for Dwight. Soon after Emma is being taught the piano by Dwight's ex-wife and Ethan picks up Emma and again sees Dwight. After all these encounters surely Ethan will remember right? Watch it as it is fantastic and you may cry.
