When it comes to emotionally moving films, directors like Clint Eastwood and Sean Penn dominate (see: Mystic River, Into the Wild). But with Reservation Road, director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) delivers a tragedy full of genuine emotional power. And despite some sloppy writing by George and screenwriter/novelist John Burnham Schwartz (adapting his own novel), the film is ultimately worth a look.
Reservation Road begins as divorced lawyer Dwight (Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac) is late returning his son to his estranged wife Ruth (Mira Sorvino, The Final Cut); in his haste, he accidentally hits young Josh Learner (Sean Curley, The Backyardigans).
Scared, Dwight speeds off into the night, leaving Josh’s father, Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix, We Own the Night), wondering who killed his son. Through an implausible series of coincidences, Dwight finds himself contacted by Ethan (who didn’t get quite a good-enough look at Dwight the night of the accident) to represent him legally in the case. As the two men interact more and more, Ethan gets closer to the truth, providing the main narrative thrust of the film.
Through very claustrophobic close-ups, George makes sure the audience feels uncomfortably close to his suffering leading men. But this isn’t a bad move, as both actors deliver excellent performances. Phoenix is especially effective as a grieving father – he makes the audience feel Ethan’s sadness, whether he’s telling his wife not to let their daughter see Josh’s body or bawling alone in the bathroom. Big and small moments resonate through his wounded eyes.
And Ruffalo has always had a sort of slacker-serious duality that is well suited to his role here as a man who talks right, but doesn’t act it. In a quiet but successful performance, Ruffalo doesn’t overact – his guilt is conveyed through sighs and anxious movements.
The most powerful moments in Reservation Road are the simple ones: When Ethan’s daughter dedicates a piano performance to her dead brother, the moment is earnest and believable. But the problem with the film is there aren’t enough of those moments; in fact, there are too many scenes that feel too scripted and expected (such as an early montage of touching father-son scenes with both Dwight and Ethan).
And the audience never truly understands Dwight’s decision to hit-and-run. During the film, Ethan asks, “What kind of person could do that?” Unfortunately, Reservation Road fails to answer its own question.
Great tragedies such as Mystic River don’t have any false moments, but Reservation Road stumbles on quite a few, such as the way Ethan finally discovers the truth about his son’s killer. Moments like these shift the audience’s focus away from the tragedy and to plot holes instead, which is certainly not what filmmakers want people to ponder.
With better execution, Reservation Road could have been a great movie, as opposed to the good one it is now. And without the same amount of industry clout as Mystic River or Into the Wild, the film may end up falling through the box-office cracks. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t – Reservation Road is an above-average film that will move anyone who spends the cash to see it.
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