The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
 
Features  |  Reviews
Best2012Vote-1000x50

Reservation Road

The Honda Accord of movies
By CHRIS BRAIOTTA  |  October 17, 2007
2.0 2.0 Stars
INSIDERESROAD
RESERVATION ROAD: A perfectly reliable, but lifeless ride.

The model family of college professor Ethan Learner (Joaquin Phoenix) ruptures when his angelic, slow-to-move son is killed by a hit-and-run driver. The driver of the offending SUV is hasty attorney Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo), who has a son of his own and a set of problems that pre-date his under-par swerving skills. Director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) lets the film hang on that one moment, giving us an hour of Ethan’s cardigan-clad Death Wish antics. He also redefines the word “thriller” by indulging in endless scenes of Ethan looking at Web sites. All alone. In his jammies. More engaging is Dwight’s turmoil and his sinuous resolve to come clean. Films like Reservation Road are the Honda Accords of movies — faux classy, perfectly reliable, and lifeless by design.
Related: No Reservations, Pole sitter, Blindness, More more >
  Topics: Reviews , Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Terry George
| More

 Friends' Activity   Popular   Most Viewed 
[ 02/14 ]   The Addams Family  @ Shubert Theatre
[ 02/14 ]   "Aphrodite and the Gods of Love"  @ Museum of Fine Arts
[ 02/14 ]   "Processes and Dreams"  @ Panopticon Gallery
ARTICLES BY CHRIS BRAIOTTA
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   THE HIPSTER HARRY POTTER  |  September 21, 2011
    The inside flap of Wildwood — the new young-adult fantasy novel by Decemberist Colin Meloy — claims that the book is for ages nine and up.
  •   WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS  |  February 06, 2008
    “I wonder how this can possibly end?” Wait, sorry, I meant, “When will this possibly end?”
  •   HOW SHE MOVE  |  January 23, 2008
    The dance sequences suffer for the lack of gloss, but it’s a fair trade because tiny bursts of drama erupt whenever the plot looks the other way.
  •   PREGNANT PAUSE  |  December 12, 2007
    Jason Reitman’s film makes the most of a few great ideas.
  •   THIS CHRISTMAS  |  November 20, 2007
    Christmas movies have always meant boring white people going home to settle lifelong resentments and eat ham.

 See all articles by: CHRIS BRAIOTTA

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed