Reservation Road

Reservation Road **

Directed by Terry George
Written by Terry George and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the novel by John Burnham Schwartz

Starring:
Joaquin Phoenix as Ethan Learner
Jennifer Connelly as Grace Learner
Mark Ruffalo as Dwight Arno
Mira Sorvino as Ruth Wheldon
Elle Fanning as Emma Learner

102 Minutes(Rated R for language and some disturbing images. )
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"Reservation Road" is based on a rather popular and bestselling novel by a man named John Burnham Schwartz. I have not read the book, but over the last few weeks-ever since I first saw an ad for this film-I pondered if I should read it or not. The trailer was slightly ambiguous-not really revealing much about the plot. I decided not to read the book, and to instead let the film tell its story in its own way. And when the credits to the film began to roll, and I left the room, and went up the escalator back to the real world, I was struck with the notion that the film did not give the book justice-and I have not even read the book. But I know that the writing in that novel must have been ten times better than the writing in the film, and at a time where award worthy films are beginning to be released and true Oscar bait comes into the spotlight, I knew that "Reservation Road" was released at the wrong time. And unless you look at this as a performance piece-and even those aren't the greatest works in the world by these talented actors-"Reservation Road" is almost a waste of time.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Ethan Learner, a family man with two children-Emma and Josh-and a beautiful wife Grace, played by the talented Jennifer Connelly. We also meet Dwight Armo, played by the by the always welcome Mark Ruffalo, who is taking his son out to a Red Sox game. He only gets his son on some weekends, and is mostly kept on lockdown by his ex-wife Ruth, played by Mira Sorvino. While trying to avoid hitting another car, the speeding Dwight ends up running into Ethan's son, killing him instantly. But scared and confused, Dwight flees, telling his black eyed son that he hit a log. Ethan and Grace go into complete grief mode, and Ethan finds solace on Internet chat rooms where the users are people who are suffering loss. Meanwhile Dwight also goes into grief mode, suddenly careful of his surroundings and always worried that he would be caught. Especially when two (unforgivable) coincidences happen to him-Ethan's daughter is piano student and Ruth is her teacher, and Ethan ends up going to Dwight-who happens to be a lawyer-for legal advice on finding the guy who did it. And when nobody seems to be able to help him, Ethan decides to bring justice into his own hands.

The script relies too much on contrived coincidences, and the several connections between Dwight and Ethan, emotionally and socially, end up being more used as plot devices to get to the unsatisfying conclusion, than actually being something believable. I can probably understand what direction the novel takes in telling this story. The film is littered with connections between Ethan and Dwight, trying to highlight the point that victim and suspect are able to be on the same emotional level when it comes to tragic circumstances. We would see a shot of Ethan laying in a bed, with tears in his eyes, and then the very next shot will be Dwight in the same, or similar, position. This makes us never feel like Ethan or Dwight is a main character, but they are really two aspects of the same person. The tragedy ends up being a palindrome between the two. It begins nor ends with either one of them. I imagine that the novel really gets into these characters heads, something that is hard to do on the screen. And in the end, the film suffers because the script just seems so unbelievable-so impossible-and so easy.

The actors really do try to resonate a certain level of emotion that just isn't there on the page. And the best performance in the whole piece is definitely Mark Ruffalo, who at times I actually believed, especially during a climatic scene on the shores of a lake. I was disappointed in Joaquin Phoenix, whose stoic and rather distant behavior should make sense in the grief his character is feeling, but most of the time he just looked disinterested and bored. Jennifer Connelly also tries her best, but rather lame dialogue also makes it hard to take her seriously. Mira Sovino is just awful, and from her first scene where she is fighting with Ruffalo, with the cliche new husband by her side, I knew that her role in the piece would be just useless. Mark Islam's score goes over the top at times, especially during the opening credits. And I'm really upset with writer/director Terry George, who wrote such a powerful screenplay with "Hotel Rwanda," that this material should have come much better instead of being such a mediocre outing. "Reservation Road" reeks of false promise-what could have been a strong film ends up being more of a puff piece. Ruffalo is almost a good enough reason to go, and if they promoted him for Best Supporting Actor he might have a shot.

Now Playing At:
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Landmark Sunshine Cinemas