Rating: 
Summary: Brave filmmaking
Review: An engaging if slightly melodramatic thriller, distinguished by the bravery of its shockingly downbeat ending. Kruger's thematically strong and neatly structured screenplay doesn't pull any punches with its climax, and that's the way it should be. That even the most earnest opponents of terror can still be manipulated by it, and by the way it's reported, is the whole point of this story. So I'm astonished that so many reviewers criticize the ending. Does every film have to leave you with a warm and fuzzy glow? Can't a movie actually be ABOUT something? Even something important? Of course it can, but that sometimes means the viewer has to take a pretty solid kick in the guts. Congratulations to Kruger, Pellington and their financial backers for having the nerve to go through with this. And shame on an audience who, in the same year, spent almost five times as much on tickets to 'Wild Wild West.' For the love of God, America. Wake up to yourselves before it's too late.
Rating:
Summary: Dark, bleak, & edgy, but good
Review: Another good, although very dark, edgy and bleak, Jeff bridges movie.Bridges plays a poli-sci prof who is actually teaching a course in international terrorism, when he begins to discover evidence that his neighbor, whom he initially befriends and seems quite normal (played by Tim Robbins), isn't who he says he is, and might even be a terrorist himself. Bridges becomes obsessed with finding out who Robbins really is, and the evidence Bridges uncovers seems to point to his being a terrorist who is planning an attack on a building somewhere in Washington DC. The evidence is very circumstantial, however, and at first we might be inclined to conclude Bridges is just too sensitive and paranoid about the subject. He discusses the evidence with his girlfriend and another friend who is an agent at the FBI, and they don't find Bridges' evidence as convincing, and in fact both of them think he's just being overly paranoid, and needs to get over it. Bridges won't give up, however, and finally, in the last quarter of the movie, it becomes obvious that Robbins really is a bad guy and is definitely plotting something. Bridges sets out to stop him but in an ironic twist of fate, Robbins swaps cars with him and Bridges, unaware of the fact that Robbins has put the bomb in the trunk of Bridges' car, drives to the FBI building to warn everybody and thus becomes the unwitting accomplice in the tragedy. The bomb blows up, killing Bridges and hundreds of people in the building. Another dark side to the movie is how Bridges gets blamed for the disaster in the press, where he is portrayed as an unstable, dangerous, obsessed wacko, rather than as a concerned teacher who was just trying to warn everybody. Overall a good, although as I said, very dark, bleak, edgy and ultimately probably depressing film. The good guy dies, he fails to prevent the tragedy, and both his wife (who is killed in an earlier botched FBI raid) and his girlfriend are also dead. If there is a movie out there that epitomizes our current fears about urban terrorism, this is it.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad acting, waste of time.
Review: This is one of the worst movie I ever watched. I rented the disc, and feel lucky that I never buy this movie.
Jeff Bridges is so-so, Tim Robbins looks more like a serial rapist rather than terrorist. Joan Cussack in suspense movies? You've gotta be joking!
One star is one too many. Trust me. Do NOT buy this movie. Save your money and time.
Rating:
Summary: Warnings did come, but no-one listened (or watched)...
Review: I've rented this on VHS before September 11th and watched it alone. I was horrified and thrilled. Now I bought it on DVD and watched it after "the event" with my girlfriend. The impact of it was significantly lower (which is to be expected) after I saw Twin Towers crumble into dust. Many, many movies dealt with terrorism, but none with such courage and, I dare myself say it, vision. Those who characherize this movie as evil, bad and malignant are the same people who can't believe the pedofilia occures among thier priests and that Church was hiding it or that goverment, politicians and big company execs care about the people, the animals or the Earth itself. Those people are repeatedly going to be hit in the face with whatever life throws their way. This movie is serious piece of work. It's not just a movie, but a movie with a message to America and americans to stop living in the state of mind that they are above the rest of the world. Plot in a sentence or two: a recently widowed college professor holding classes on terrorism gets new neighbour he starts suspecting he's the anti-goverment terrorist. But is it just his paranoia over his dead wife or you know what... The premise is intriguing and the performances are good, but not great. Some pathetic acting is evident and some characters could've been developed better. Tension is built slowly and gradually, stopping here and there to (successfully) take you off track. Nevertheless, this is an excellent movie with great finale, far better than the most of today's Hollywood brainless junk. The DVD itself is rather good (with alternate endings and commentary), but the sound is rather weak - it looks like it was lip-synched afterwards in the studio without real care. High tones are somewhat metallic and deep bass in non-existant. That's the only reason why it didn't get 5 stars. Rent it first, and if you like it - buy it. Favourite line: "She got in the way..."
Rating:
Summary: Horrible, dead
Review: NO STARS for a EVIL FILM. Not the most original concept. One star for Jeff Bridges. The rest of the film gets a THUMBS DOWN. This is a great example of how media enlightens people to be bad.
The only positive note is for Tim Robbins who gets to stick it to the United States government. ha ha ha ha.
Overall, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW MOVIES I REGRET HAVING EVER SEEN.
Rating:
Summary: Take A Stroll On Arlington Road
Review: Arlington Road is a paranoid thriller, which means that the main character is paranoid (but usually correct) about the movie's villain. In this movie, Jeff Bridges plays Micheal Faraday, a college professor who's wife was an FBI agent who died investigating a family mistakenly thought to be terrorists. His new neighbor Oliver Lang (Tim Robbins) becomes his friend after Faraday saves his kid's life one day. But after a while, Faraday begins to notice odd occurences with Lang. I'll stop there because I don't want to give too much away.
The acting in this movie is astounding, and Robbins once again plays a great two-faced character (I say again because I saw Antitrust first, even though that was made later). The only downside is that the ending leaves you wondering what happens next. I have never before seen an ending like this movie's, and I was unable to predict it until one minute before it happened (usually I can predict an ending a mile away). If you like thrillers, go see this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard working cast & crew overcome silly script
Review: I love a great thriller. While Arlington Road is not a great one, it's a decent one. It suffers from a modern-day Hollywood plague I have dubbed The Plot Virus. This malady can occur in several ways. The people who brought the script are not bright enough to see how lacking it is. Or, the script is great, but people with egos bigger than Texas can't resists tampering with it. Or, at least one powerful executive's kid didn't like it at a preview, so it gets re-editied. Whatever the cause, the results are the usually the same. The big surprise ending isn't logical, leaving one feeling deflated and a bit cheated. Arlington Road starts off like a racehorse out of the gate. We see a dazed young boy stumbling down the middle of a suburban road. Michael Faraday [Jeff Bridges] drives up and gets out to help. Seeing that the lad is badly injured, he rushes him to the hospital. A little later, in the emergency room, he meets the boy's grateful parents, Oliver and Cheryl Lang [Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack]. Turns out they are new neighbors of Faraday's. Soon, a friendship blossoms. Faraday is already a basket case. He teaches a course in terrorism at a local university. Wouldn't you know it? His wife was killed three years earlier in a botch FBI raid on a suspected terrorist group. His young son is withdrawn, but comes back to life when he starts hanging out with the Lang's now recovered kid. As for Oliver and Cheryl, there is something not quite right about them. When Faraday gets suspicious and starts investigating, he finds himself being dragged into some very dark business. The movie's stars - Bridges, Robbins and Cusack - are among our best actors. Bridges is typically masculine yet vulnerable here, while Robbins is his usual otherworldly self. It is Cusack who shines the brightest. Her Cheryl is a woman who says kind, warm things with just the slightest lack of sincerity on her void. She's one of those people with a helpful facade who can wreak havoc in everyone's lives. Another plus is the musical score by Angelo Badalamenti and Tomandandy [Tom Hadiu and Andy Milburn]. For once, we are not bombarded by songs meant to fill a CD. The music here is pure thriller - loud, jagged and often cacophonous. It greatly enhances the mood of the film. Sadly, for all the good elements in Arlington Road, we are left with that plot. In the best of thrillers, such as this year's smash hit The Sixth Sense, even if the story may is implausible, the seemingly odd and off-kilter events that occur all make sense in a logical and surprising conclusion. You look back and think, Oh, that's why this and that happened. They fooled me until the end, and I got my money's worth. An inferior script, like Arlington Road's, may have a riveting, edge-of your-seat climax, but it only serves to make what leads up to it totally improbable.You think, Yeah, right!
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing, but good
Review: Tim--you sexy bad boy. Yes it's me one of the many Tim Robbins
groupies. Yes my guy Tim is the villian, but he does it well.
This movie really grips or is it gripes you. It is scary to think
how much of this could actually happen or could be happening as I
write this. Arlington Road certainly keeps you guessing right
up to the last. The ending surprised me:)
Rating:
Summary: Yes...I hated this movie (could you tell?)
Review: Who greenlighted this film? I can't think of a movie in recent memory that wastes an audience's time more than this film. The ending is the most contrived farce in the history of cheesy endings, and nothing is really resolved. Sure, the movie is edgy and somewhat chilling, but too many things in this movie seem like they were pulled out of the lower orifice of one of the writers.... his neighbors are too damn creepy and do some really blatantly out in the open things that only morons in law enforcement would pass over. The sad thing is, I'm sure there was some good side information cut from the film that could have added to the experience. It might have even made the film watchable. As it stands, I hate this film, and I hate Mark Pellington. In case my point is muffled, here it is: if you absolutely must see this movie, rent it first. I'm begging you.
Rating:
Summary: An strong believable Thriller.
Review: When a Professor (Jeff Bridges) is teaching on the study of Terrorism and Serial Bombers. When he, his girlfriend (Hope Davis) and his son (Spencer Treat Clark) meet thier new neighbors (Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack) and thier children. The Professor slowly discover that his new neighbor is acutally a Serial Bomber. Directed by Mark Pellington. Written by Ehren Kruger (Scream 3, Reindeer Games, The Ring-Remake) brings a stylish strong terrific film. DVD`s has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and An booming Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Extras are:An running commentary track by Director:Pellington and Actor:Bridges. Behind the Scenes Featurette, Trailer and the Original Alternate Ending. This is a Slick, Cautionary Thriller. Panavision. Grade:A.
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