"Arlington Road" is a thriller about a college professor (Jeff Bridges as Michael Faraday) who teaches about historic acts of terrorism, and his neighbor (Tim Robbins as Oliver Lang), a smiley, smarmy type who has an equally oily wife (Joan Cusack as Cheryl Lang).
Though they live across the street from each other, they never know each other until an unfortunate accident. From the moment they meet, Michael senses something is amiss. Certain facts about his neighbor don't seem to add up. Michael is a naturally inquisitive guy--perhaps a little prone to conspiracy theories--so he takes his own suspicions with a grain of salt.
The opinions about "Arlington Road" on this site range from "classic thriller" to "less than average". This is not Hitchcock or "Jaws" or "Alien", but the tension lies beneath the surface and I found the film to be riveting.
I do think some viewers will be disappointed with the ending, but it rings true. Bridges is intense and Robbins is laid back, making for a nice contrast. The director, Mark Pellington, uses some nice camera angles to convey Faraday's unbalanced perspective when his life suddenly takes a dramatic turn. But this is no classic; there are too many superior suspense films.
Its strength lies in its stars--especially Bridges--whose performances are only slightly undermined by a script that could use more depth. When the conspiracy theory becomes a truly fearful story element, the action develops and resolves too quickly (unlike, say, "North By North West").
Though they live across the street from each other, they never know each other until an unfortunate accident. From the moment they meet, Michael senses something is amiss. Certain facts about his neighbor don't seem to add up. Michael is a naturally inquisitive guy--perhaps a little prone to conspiracy theories--so he takes his own suspicions with a grain of salt.
The opinions about "Arlington Road" on this site range from "classic thriller" to "less than average". This is not Hitchcock or "Jaws" or "Alien", but the tension lies beneath the surface and I found the film to be riveting.
I do think some viewers will be disappointed with the ending, but it rings true. Bridges is intense and Robbins is laid back, making for a nice contrast. The director, Mark Pellington, uses some nice camera angles to convey Faraday's unbalanced perspective when his life suddenly takes a dramatic turn. But this is no classic; there are too many superior suspense films.
Its strength lies in its stars--especially Bridges--whose performances are only slightly undermined by a script that could use more depth. When the conspiracy theory becomes a truly fearful story element, the action develops and resolves too quickly (unlike, say, "North By North West").