Arlington
Road
boils over with excitement-well, in the beginning and the
wicked creepy end! The story is fresh and interesting. Joan
'best creepy chick ever' Cusack, Tim 'baby-face' Robbins
and Jeff 'one of trillions of Bridges' Bridges are stellar
as the odd little suburban folk who live on Arlington Road
together. Oliver (Robbins) and Cheryl (Cusack) Lang, are
an Ozzie-and-Harriet-on-acid style couple who live across
the street from professor Michael Faraday (Bridges).
One sunny day, via a near fatal accident involving a Lang
child, the families meet. Oliver Lang is a charming, tall
architect, with a swell bride with a creepy...er...quirky
smile. What's there not to trust? Hmmmm. I immediately
had the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up.
Of course my neighbors probably hate me too, and think I'm
a serial killer. Yeah, but I can't even remember my social
security number, never mind being some multiple killer and
having to number all those bodies. Remember, everyone when
watched looks guilty of... something. Usually everybody
is guilty of something.Well, all of us except
the real "normal" ones- now, those are the ones
to watch! The quiet guys, who wind up wiping out their whole
families with an ax because their eggs weren't fried right
or something equally significant.
Anywho, almost as fast as cellulite multiplies on Rosie
O'Donnell's humongous, quivering thighs, Faraday is suspicious
of his mannequin-like neighbors. He finds little problems
in their personal history. And thus begins his obsessions.
Enter the Jar Jar Binks of Arlington Road-the mandatory
"Doubting Thomasina"- Brooke. Brooke played by
Hope 'woodland creature looking' Davis is Faraday's
extremely annoying girlfriend who doubts every word
Michael says in regard to his suspicions about the neighbors.
She doesn't believe a word the guy she's sleeping with is
saying? Alright, maybe that's normal. But the convinced
Michael had valid reasons. Come on, anyone with a pulse
would have at least heard him out-and then there was his
PROOF and all. Well, her stupidity is "rewarded"-that's
all I'll say...(snicker).
Jeff Bridges is yet another under rated actor. He just isn't
in enough things. And conversely, why does Ryan O'Neal EVER
get a role? Ryan is such a fat, bloated alkie looking thing;
he's actually beginning to resemble Ted Kennedy!
I love
Joan Cusack. Gosh, it was swell seeing her up to her old
tricks. Rent things with her name on them, she seemes to
pick 'different' works that are as diverse as she is interesting.
Each outing she shows yet another great layer! Talent runs
through that whole family's DNA.
Tim
Robbins is like, such a dude. Even with gray streaks
strategically placed to give him that "distinguished"
look, he still looks like a little stud muffin waiting to
be heated in the microwave and have butter spread all over
him, then slowly devoured. Oh, Sorry. I digress.
This is quite a thriller. Yeah, the middle was a tad Xanaxified,
but, trust me, it leads up to a great exciting ending-even
if they insisted on the cliche car chase! The writer,
Ehren Kruger, draws up some pretty disturbing subjects
and casting Mr. Left Wing Robbins in his role was very
clever. At times, director Mark Pellington, was a bit
over the top- a close up of a muffler at a tense moment-that
was a cinematic first! Odd. Over all, this is great. Go
see it, you'll never look at your Caravan driving, sweatered,
average Joe neighbor quite the same. Or maybe, that's
you?
...whaohahahoha < evil laugh.
Snack
recommendation: Anything bar-be-cued
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