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Arlington Road

Arlington Road

List Price: $9.95
Your Price: $9.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worth a viewing, not quite flawless...
Review: This movie wins because it is a taut thriller that simultaneously respects the viewer's intelligence and, at its core, has something significant to say about society.

For the first 20 minutes of the film, I was preparing myself for disappointment, as many of the plot points and bits of conversation are anticipated rather easily. Fortunately, the film shakes this problem as it progresses, and some of the twists taken by the plot later on more than make up for any early hints of predictability.

Certainly the best feature of the film is that it combines psychological thrills with dark-alley style suspense, so that as you try to puzzle together what's really going on, you're biting your nails at the same time. Another great thing is that the film never loses focus of the individual characters, in that many scenes serve to flesh out their personalities rather than just mechanically pushing the plot along.

There are still some imperfections, however. For one thing, we're never given quite enough doubt about the main character's sanity. Many of the people around him seem to question it, and we never have any trouble understanding why, yet at the same time we've always seen just enough more than they have to know that he's really onto something, that paranoia alone won't explain the conclusions he's reaching. It really would have been nice had this been left more ambiguous for most of the film.

Also, while I don't at all take issue with the movie ending the way it does, I don't like the fact that in order for the ending to work we're supposed to believe that the protagonist was being played for most of the story. Given the coincidences upon which major points in the plot turn, this just feels totally implausible by the end. I think this was the thing I found most unsatisfying about the movie overall.

In any case, if you're interested in an effective thriller with healthy doses of mystery, action and suspense, "Arlington Road" is a film that's worth two hours of your time.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good solid story, lots of tension
Review: This story is really engaging and the plot is good. It is often hard to get this type of movie to play well on screen, often the personal interactions between characters only come across well in book form, but I think the tension between Bridges and Robbins in this movie come across as feeling real.

While not a really "scary" movie there are some scenes that do play very tense and make the movie a good thriller even though it is far from an action flick.

The story is one that makes you think and that fact overcomes the underlining problem of being a bit slow at times. All in all it is a good movie and well worth watching. Because of the twists which are only really fun to watch once and the lack of fast paced action it may fall in the rental category but it is definitely worth watching.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Must see!
Review: The movie is very good. The first half seems to be to long, nothing happens. But in the second half action accelerate, until suprising end.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: So who's YOUR neighbor?
Review: I'll keep it short. I first saw this movie at a theatre in Omaha (weekday matinee) and didn't know what to expect. I was glued to the screen the whole time. I kept watching, even though I had just consumed a large soda and needed to go..I just couldn't miss what was going to happen next. The last 20 minutes was one of the most incredible ends I have ever seen on film. NO ONE expected it. The audience was absolutely silent as they left the theatre. It went totally against the grain of similar movies where the good guy saves the day. Tim Robbins gives his best (and most menacing) performance here. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow! This one makes your head spin!
Review: Great film. Some action, but primarily this one makes you try to figure out what is going on.

You begin to think one thing, then start to second guess yourself only to find out that there is entirely something else happening. And the end is incredible. After you watch the film and start to think about it, you begin to realize how large the plot really was. Definietly need to see it a second time to pick up on the small things.

Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins! Both played their parts unerringly.

If you like movies that keep you riveted to your seat the whole time, this one's for you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hella Cool
Review: This was one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I recommend it to anyone. It's one of those movies you tend to ignore because the title sounds boring. But trust me it's not.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Okay, but not the greatest
Review: WOW, this movie is really good! It was one of the best I've seen! It was very well made and the effects were fabulous. I was really into it, when it just ended. It left you hanging and the bad guy won the battle. I have to say, I would have rated this with 5 stars and account it for one of my favorite movies, but the ending was horrible. I don't think it deserves to be a movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: CAUTION! This is a cautionary tale, not a "feel-good" movie
Review: This one kept me riveted throughout; I swear I didn't exhale until the last five minutes. No, I didn't see the ending coming, but it makes absolute sense given the ficton created therein (Roger Ebert is full of PRUNES when he says that it "flies apart in the last 30 minutes;" it not only works, it's the only way the film CAN end and maintain its integrity). The performances are spot-on (including Joan Cusack; hello? The woman is allowed to do something other than "zany" roles-- especially when she does so damned well with a role like this one), the plot is complex and yes, far-fetched, but pulls you in and keeps you in a stranglehold. But as I titled my review, do NOT watch this movie if you have to see good conquer evil/hope springs eternal etc.-- you WON'T LIKE IT. It is good drama, an excellent thriller, and while the nods to Ruby Ridge (NOT Waco,as has been suggested) and Oklahoma City made it timely when it was released, the events of 9-11-01 make it even more disturbing now. Remember, when we believe these acts to be the acts of individuals, acting alone, it only helps us to regain our sense of security; the truth may be more than we can bear.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Deeply disturbing, but well worth watching
Review: As another reviewer suggested, this is a movie that should be watched twice in order to catch all the nuances, but you may not want to watch it a second time. This is really strong stuff, especially after Sept. 11th and, before that, after the Oklahoma City bombing.

It is, however, well produced and directed. It grabs us from the first with the neighbor boy badly injured by 4th of July fireworks....something symbolic about that. Along with college professor Jeff Bridges, we become better acquainted with the neighbors who reminded me, while there is no marked similarity between the two films, of Rosemary's neighbors in ROSEMARY'S BABY.

This is a thriller, and during the final 20 minutes appears to be leading to a predictable though exciting climax. Don't be fooled, though.

However, it did leave me with a question. As in many thrillers, the bad guys are right wing zealots. Aren't there any dangerous liberals out there?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quite a trip
Review: This is a fun thriller with a devastating makes-you-think twist that is rises above your formulaic action pic.

Bridges is always very good, different for Robbins, and Joan Cusack stole the best of the "Stepford Wives" for her part.

Exciting, tense, a frightening shocker of an ending and characters who are all very flawed and not always likable. A realistic approach that helped to make it a little less of the clean-cut good vs. bad deal.

Give it a shot.


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