It begins impressively with a really gripping opening sequence and then, after telling his story, leads to a shocking climax that vindicates his behaviour in the most tragic way possible. Worst of all, why does Robbins' character embark on an elaborate six month charade of dinner parties, psychological warfare, deliberately injured children, campsite kidnappings, faked car crashes, hidden blueprints, hostage taking, phone tapping, name changes, car exchanges, etc etc? Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, Oh, it was there but on the mild side. Although it takes something of a slog to get there, this thriller finally comes through where it counts. Why the heck is Robbins' character trying to convince the world it's the work of a crazy individual anyway? If you like plotholes, watch this movie, otherwise: skip it! I had a problem with Hope Davis - her character is either mentally retarded, or very very stupid. Learn more. Jeff reads Tim's old yearbook then falls asleep, and voila, he wakes up and Tim is there! I would go as far as adding the "twist" to the greatest lists, which include Se7en in that slot. © If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. She was an FBI agent that died in action during an assignment with her partner Whit Carver (Robert Gossett). I couldn't stand it. Your overall enjoyment of 'Arlington Road' will still likely come down to the ending. It's the most adequate beginning of a movie like this. Professor Faraday teaches on terrorism and FBI tactics in Washington, despite losing his wife in a blundered FBI raid on suspected terrorists. While certainly worthy of video rental, or catching on late-night TV, it barely qualifies for the price of cinema admission. Forgot your password? I was well entertained, so I recommend it. See our. A tight, well-rounded piece of suspense/thriller filmmaking with an electric performance by Bridges. Founded in April 2006, High-Def Digest is the ultimate guide for High-Def enthusiasts who demand only the best that money can buy. An interesting storyline, which excels beyond the average Hollywood thriller, the typical guessing game of the goodies and baddies plays a secondary role to the real story. Because everybody seems that the movie has no end i'll explain the end here: Farraday's neighbor - Oliver Lang IS a terrorist, and manages to blow up a entire FBI building in which Farraday is killed, by putting the bomb in the car that Farraday rents, and with which he follows the car in which he thinks that Lang has put the bomb, without knowing that the bomb is in his own rented car. I was craving some ice cream as we watched it but couldn't tear myself away until it was over. Bridges' character spends just long enough fighting Robbins' for a bomb to be securely planted in his car, but is in a hurry enough to leave a live and unrestrained Robbins. I love this movie. A great movie,with a very original ending. Arlington Road is an incredible thriller that never got its dues. Copyright © Fandango. In the end, this hero/villain relationship keeps the movie strong even if its script nearly collapses under plot contrivances and convenient exposition. As his suspicions and his paranoia rise, he begins to dig deeper to find out the secrets that this man, Oliver Lang, is hiding. The biggest downside to both audio tracks is that the rear channels are too subdued for the majority of the film. From the shock opening of the little boy, the pedestrian pacing of the growing friendship leading to growing suspicion is only rarely interrupted, most often by curiously jarring flashback sequences. But the ending was by a nose the most insulting part of the whole ordeal. I rate this one 8/10. I have never seen so many plotholes in a movie that takes itself seriously. How could Robbins' character rely on not being either restrained, knocked out, taken to the police or even killed by Bridges' character? Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller. normality from Cusack. Arlington Road is in essence a tragedy. By Total Film 19 March 1999. Maybe because I expected some heavy-handed Liberal bias in here with Tim Robbins, I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, it does the job of sucking you in and never letting go, not until the last beat. For example, how many movies do you see where the police sets up a main character (without his consent) to almost get killed just to get the evidence to put away the bad guy. Next up is a surprisingly comprehensive behind-the-scenes featurette titled "Hidden Vulnerability: The Making of Arlington Road" (21 minutes). I've said it before and I'll continue to scream it to the heavens -- catalog titles really shouldn't be released in high-def unless they've been remastered to take advantage of the format. Treble tones are generally stable and only waver during the car chase in the last ten minutes of the film. "Arlington Road" has got it all and it's a near perfect movie that is a must see for the thriller fans. With that in mind, the characters in (and residents of) Arlington Road do seem to be making an awfully big song and dance about their certainly strange, possibly dangerous new resident. Fair enough, it is a little depressing. The climax is so implausible we stop caring and start scratching our heads. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. 'Arlington Road' features an uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround mix (16-bit/48 kHz/4.6 Mbps) that's hardly discernible from the disc's Dolby Digital 5.1 track (640 kbps). In fact, the whole idea is brought up in the discussions that the main character has with his class of Terrorism. He’s married to a very creepy and Stepford-esque Joan Cusack.. Soon Michael suspects of Oliver might be a terrorist initially based on a blueprint that his neighbor tells that it is a shopping mall but Michael believes it is a building and with returned correspondences in the mailbox. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy This is a nifty suspense story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. A competent, unremarkable film. To make matters worse, his nine-year-old son, Brady (Mason Gamble), is forming a potentially dangerous relationship with the Langs. It gave me the impression that the sound designers concentrated all of their efforts on key scenes and forgot to inject much life into the stretches of the film that focus on character development. Your privacy is important to us. In the end, he ends up causing the thing that he is trying to stop. The references to acts of terrorism in the US are so close to reality that they make this thriller more thoughtful than standard films in the genre. A good story, a good atmosphere, good actors and voila! The first thing most fans will head for is the feature commentary with actor Jeff Bridges and director Mark Pellington ('The Mothman Prophecies'). It merely exploits our fears and emotions to jerk us around. We're updating our reviews to better highlight authentic stories and accurate, diverse representations. ARLINGTON ROAD Well hell here's a movie. Please enter your birth date to watch this video: You are not allowed to view this material at this time. Please refresh the page and try again. Ever since those early days of cinematic naivety, films have employed shocking twist-endings in an attempt to catch viewers off guard. I was planning on reviewing ENEMY OF THE STATE today, ya know, catching up. Maybe both. As a result, 'Arlington Road' isn't the kind of film I would revisit time and time again. They are really perfectly cast in their roles. This is an awful movie. Some plot twists do nothing but insult the intelligence of the viewer. This masterpiece started out at around three stars, but after the credits, it just got sillier and more lurid. Contrary to what you may think initially, nothing happens by coincidence on `Arlington Road.' Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more! To their great credit, the two actors have a tense interplay that generates a palatable on-screen electricity. Wondering if Arlington Road is OK for your kids? A classy but over-contrived topical thriller about bomb plots and anti-government groups. Even before the first act has come to a close, the film has built up a considerable momentum despite the fact that there isn't a lot happening outside of Michael's mind. Starring: Tim Robbins, Jeff Bridges. Why is it that everyone is complaining about the ending? He goes to the hospital with the child and befriends his neighbors Oliver Lang (Tim Robbins) and Cheryl Lang (Joan Cusack) that live in front of his house in the waiting room. Arlington Road is a very scary movie about a very scary subject -- terrorism. They had him watched, and they led him with a carrot on a stick the whole way to get HIM to be the one to take the blame, the "single man" theory. Ranked: Music Video Directors Turned Film Directors. My son is very mature for age 14 - HE could probably 'handle' it. Brilliant film which brings home some harsh, hard truths about American society and security. Arlington Road is a 1999 neo-noir thriller film directed by Mark Pellington and starring Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, and Hope Davis.The film tells the story of a widowed George Washington University professor who suspects his new neighbors are involved in terrorism and becomes obsessed with foiling their terrorist plot.