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Arlington Road (1999)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 9/08

ArlR
9/08: Arlington Road is the poor man's 12 Monkeys.

Didn't Jeff Bridges do this role already in Blown Away? Tim Robbins bothers me with his phony sincere acting, and Joan Cusack, whom I've groaned after seeing her name in the opening credits, continues to pile on her awfulness.

In many ways, director Mark Pellington tries to be clever with the story and makes an earnest effort to inject a "heart-pounding" feeling behind it. But guess what? It's still a dumb picture. The first five minutes reeks of amateurism due to the lack of focus. Instead, it's Jeff Bridges who guides me from start to finish. At times, he overacts by leaving his mouth agape about three quarters of the time.

Jeff Bridges, playing the professor of history at a major university who's a one-time husband to the deceased FBI agent, should give a hint that his character is highly intelligent who employs enough common sense to carry himself well. Yet his actions are so contradictory that I'm unable to find Arlington Road a smart picture by any means.

One cardinal rule of secrecy is: don't relay important things to anyone who can't be 100% trusted. In other words, the professor should've confided in his friend who works for the FBI to get the issue under wraps without a problem. That way, the situation will be defused in time. But no...the filmmakers must have an idiot for a professor. Also, Faraday doesn't cover his tracks well, either. When he laid down to take a nap with the high school yearbook that's wide-open in the middle of the yard, it's a dead giveaway of what's to come. Similarly, he did it again while doing research in a small study room.

Meanwhile, I don't care much for the ending which is a sharp reminiscent of 12 Monkeys and Fight Club. There are plenty annoying reminders of Invasion of the Body Snatchers given the ambience. Why do the characters often suddenly appear out of nowhere? Is it an attempt to outdo Hitchcock? See, Mark Pellington is such an amateur.

What makes me hate the film more is the 9/11 outcome, forcing me to suffer through the corniness of patriotism à la Armageddon. When the professor crashed his car in the middle of the alley, I thought right away of a great idea how the film was going to end, and needless to say, it turned out to be exactly that.

All in all, despite Jeff Bridges' decent performance, Arlington Road is below average, lacks intelligence, is devoid of slick direction, and doesn't make for a soft viewing on the eyes.