Reservation Road

The Honda Accord of movies

By CHRIS BRAIOTTA | October 17, 2007

2.0 Stars

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

Topics: Reviews , Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Terry George

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