DVD/VIDEO: Reservation Road

RESERVATION ROAD (2007)

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino, Elle Fanning, Eddie Alderson

Director: Terry George

Review: On rare occasions, I encounter a film that has the ability to administer an emotional punch to the gut that is so powerful and deeply felt that it leaves the viewer almost breathless. Such experiences take cinema to a level of authenticity that is as welcome as it is intimidating. While the honesty and vulnerability of such films are refreshing, they also challenge us to look within and examine our own frailty, fallibility, and need for redemption. Reservation Road, adapted from a novel by John Burnham Schwartz and directed by Terry George (Hotel Rwanda), is one of those films.

At a lean 100 minutes, Reservation Road examines with uncommon insight and unsettling intensity the aftermath of a tragic hit-and-run accident from two intriguing and heart-breaking angles: that of the preteen victim's parents and sister, and that of the driver, who is himself a loving father to a pre-teenage son.

The approach taken by George, whose Hotel Rwanda is one of the most intense and least graphic films about genocide ever made, is understated but creates a profound impact. The drama is high but never feels manipulative or contrived. Similarly, the cinematography and underscore never intrude on the storytelling but instead support it in an almost imperceptible manner. John Lindley's camerawork provides a chillingly beautiful and barren landscape in which to hold this dark, sad story, and film score heavyweight Mark Isham (October Sky, Crash) fashions simple, mournful tones that, while not memorable in and of themselves, dovetail perfectly with the movie's themes of grief, anger, guilt, and ultimately, hope.

While strengths indeed, the aforementioned qualities fade in comparison with the performances in Reservation Road. Portraying Ethan Learner (the father whose son has been snatched prematurely from his care), Joaquin Phoenix captures the essence of a man who subverts the pain of his loss with a formidable loathing for the person who destroyed his family. Phoenix's rage is palpable, but thankfully he keeps the character's humanity just visible enough so as to avoid rendering Ethan unsympathetic.

Although Phoenix's work is strong here, the film belongs to Ruffalo and Connelly. Ruffalo, typically an engaging everyman, puts his abilities in this regard to great effect as Dwight Arno, the scruffy, down-and-out dad to a bright and engaging preteen boy (Eddie Alderson, refreshingly unlike most modern movie children). Ruffalo's haunted and haunting portrayal takes us deep into Dwight's fear, guilt, and despair, daring us to look beyond our own anger at his failure to take responsibility and witness the broken and pitiable man within.

However, it is Connelly who is most shattering as Grace Learner, the grieving mother searching for a way to heal her family as her husband spins out of control in his understandable but destructive hatred for their son's killer. Blending the crushed spirit of Marion Silver from Requiem for a Dream with the fortitude of Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind, Connelly aces every scene she is in. In an Oscar-caliber performance, the actress breaks our hearts with her raw anguish while inspiring sympathy and respect for her ability to weather the grief process with courage and dignity. It is a shame that Connelly was not recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her flawless work in this film.

Finally, what makes Reservation Road so successful is the manner in which it handles the discomfort and truth of dichotomy. Much as we are asked to do in life, the film invites us to hold in our hands both compassion and righteous indignation, vengeance and forgiveness, a desire for justice and a need for mercy, the fire of hatred and the cleansing rain of love. While the film's conclusion is a bit abrupt and offers more of a hint than a full resolution, director George sets Reservation Road firmly on the path to redemption and healing, and for this, he deserves praise indeed.

Rating: **** 1/2 (out of *****)

R, for intense thematic material, some language, and a brief accident scene