Reservation Road

A hit and run story has always to be sad and I knew before hand that this movie was about a hit and run and two fathers with life changing experiences. I was glad that the hit and run happens in the very first minutes and have to admit that the fast growing up tension before it actually happens was very well done. But unfortunately that was about all that is good in this movie.

Based on a novel by John Burhnam –who co wrote the screenplay along with director Terry George- that most comments from viewers I read say that the novel tore their hearts, but the movie left them unemotionally detached and even if I haven’t read the book that’s exactly how I felt, there was no emotional involvement with the story this movie tells.

I’ll watch everything with Joaquin Phoenix and that’s why I decided to see this movie; but here I didn’t enjoyed at all his performance as to me it was not credible at all, seems that this type of roles are still not for him, he does not look like a credible father at all, even when he has so much hair in his face –which I believe it was done on purpose to make him more father-like- he fails to convey the feelings he was supposed to be feeling.

I do not like Mark Ruffalo, but here I believe he was better than Phoenix and not a bad performance as the timid, guilty ridden father that wants and does not want to turn himself up. Jennifer Connelly small and secondary performance is not that bad and is similar to many other movies where she has done the same role.

This is an unremarkable and forgettable movie that I suggest you wait until you get it on TV as is not even worth to rent the DVD.

But since this is the next post after commenting about La Zona story, I have to add that this movie story is quite similar to La Zona, the only difference is that you don’t really act on everything that you want or need to do. But the rage and revenge are totally alike.