st. jeff bridges, tim robbins, joan cusack
I thought that, in the interests of honesty, I'd offer up a few choice bits of information before moving into the actual review. For one thing, I grew up (to some degree or other) on the West Coast of the United States. I speak in a Californian accent, I have an American flag somewhere in the house, and I loved Air Force One. God help me, I didn't even mind the star-spangled banner-waving of Armageddon. So take what I'm about to say with a pinch of salt: Arlington Road is probably one of the best political thrillers to tackle issues of Americana culture.Forget the blandness of The Siege or any other such film of recent memory; Arlington Road stands head-over-heels above them all. This is a well-crafted and finely honed story that sucker-punches you one in the gut, with the whole package of directorial flair, dead-on casting, and cerebral script. It's everything you could want from a mainstream Hollywood production, while suffering from only a few of its typical flaws.
Let's start with the directing. Mark Pellington, a relatively neophyte filmmaker, has done his best to whip up a strawberry cake from all the ingredients at his disposal. Although his camera work is not particularly striking in itself - tending to rub shoulders with the revved-up MTV look of other directors - Pellington does use certain techniques to incredible effect. Most of his actors are either surrounded or completely enveloped in darkness. Dissolves and fades-to-black are also common in the film's repertoire, although they seemed more than a little excessive by the end. Pellington has a great sense of how to use visual space. You could even say that there's a dash of Joel Schumacher in his placement of red and orange colored lights, particularly at the climax of the film. From the opening dream-like, flashback-like scene to the car chase end, Arlington Road makes sure to grab you and never let you go.
The number of character actors working on Arlington Road is also something of a surprise. Tim Robbins plays against type here, using his height and soft-spoken delivery to great malevolent effect. I can't remember the last time I saw Jeff Bridges in a credible movie (was anyone Blown Away?), but after getting used to his perpetual-cold of a voice, I found him quite likeable. The more harried and tense his character got, the easier it became to fit his acting strengths into the role. The tension between Robbins and Bridges remains a palpable force throughout, although it's best communicated when just simmering under the layers of normal conversation (as in much of the first half of the movie). A courtyard confrontation between the two men seemed somewhat flat in comparison, as did a more defined confrontation later at a house cocktail party. However, the real scene-stealers are the women. I'm not talking about Hope Davis, in the rather forgettable role of the girlfriend - I'm talking about Joan Cusack and the little girl that plays her daughter. Both of these actresses bring something quite vital to Arlington Road's approach, something which none of the other actors or actresses manage to capture in quite the same way: they make us afraid. Other child actors are not nearly as impressive - both of the lead boys' roles (playing Bridges' and Robbins' sons) are serviceable but diluted in comparison to that one little girl and her freaky mother.
The script itself is tightly wound and executed. In its story about a single man (Bridges) increasingly convinced that his neighbors (Robbins and Cusack) are right-wing militants, Arlington Road offers up an exploration of terrorism and conspiracy which perfectly compliments its devious themes and dialogue. Of course there are the standard number of implausible twists - let's be charitable and call them coincidences - which Hollywood specializes in. In particular, the materialization of Jeff Bridges' paranoia is never quite made clear; instead, it is explained away in a haze - grief at his FBI wife's passing, guilt over his son's distancing relationship with him, and a two-second glimpse at a building plan. That's all it takes to send the Bridges character over the edge.
But let's not quibble over details. Suffice it to say that Arlington Road is certainly worth the money you plunk down to be entertained (and even - dare I say it - to be challenged?). I thought that I might close with just a thought or two about the shock twist at the end of the film. Those of you who've read this far into the review have probably already heard a lot of the hype and publicity tagged at Arlington Road's explosive finish - and not to build expectations too high, but it's definitely worth it. I thought I had it figured out, and I was wrong. Talk about refreshing.
Go see Arlington Road. And stay clear of Boy Scouts.
adrian gunadi
comments? email the authorRead a light-hearted review of Arlington Road by natalia laban