Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Arlington Road Blu-ray Movie Review

A great and disturbing thriller is worth a purchase on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 16, 2008

You think you know me?

1999's Arlington Road is a smart thriller with a plot that is perhaps more timely, important, and relevant today than it was eight years ago. Even with the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1994, terrorism never became an everyday word and everyday fear until September 11, 2001. As more and more attacks take place around the world and the division between people becomes ever more prominent, this movie serves notice that paranoia, in this day and age, might just be based more in reality rather than the subject of laughter from afar as late night radio hosts concoct conspiracy theories that were seen as ridiculous and unfounded only ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago. While the movie is as timely as ever today, it's also likely to be as divisive as ever today. Some may watch this film and, as the cover art states, begin to "fear thy neighbor." Others may watch it, brush it off as more Hollywood junk, and go on with their lives, pretending that nothing bad could ever happen to them, that they are immune from fear because they live on a quiet, suburban street, like Arlington Road. Whatever your reaction, neither is likely right nor wrong. The fact is that in the current state of the world, a fair share of paranoia is bound to seep into even the most accepting of individuals, but like it or not, how far you take that paranoia or the lengths you'll go to to ignore what is happening around is part of what will define you as a person in 2008 and beyond.

Jeff Bridges unravels the mystery on Arlington Road.

Arlington Road stars Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski) as Michael Faraday, an American History professor currently teaching a class on contemporary terrorism, the rise of the anti-government establishment, and the reaction of the government to such movements. Returning home from work, he finds a boy walking down the street, covered in blood, and missing part of his hand. He takes the child to the hospital and soon finds out that the child's parents are neighbors of his whom he has never met. They are Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins, Zathura and Joan Cusack, Grosse Pointe Blank), a couple who have lived in the neighborhood for two months but that have never met Faraday, his son, or his girlfriend. Michael and Oliver become friends, as do their children, but Michael begins to have suspicions about who Oliver really is when he receives a letter in his mailbox by accident, addressed to Oliver from the alumni association of the University of Pennsylvania, a school Oliver never mentioned attending. As Michael digs deeper and deeper into Oliver's past, he discovers his true identity and fears the worst as he suspects Oliver to be a terrorist. A game of cat and mouse ensues and Michael must fight to save his son and to get the word out that there is more to Oliver Lang than meets the eye.

I enjoyed Arlington Road quite a bit. Director Mark Pellington keeps things interesting visually. He's found the perfect mixture of stylized shots in conjunction with more traditional and straightforward cinematography that lends a unique look to the film without being overly artsy. The film kept up a brisk pace, even during the first act of the movie before the plot begins to unravel. Both Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins turn in memorable performances. Bridges is believable as the paranoid history professor and Robbins as the cold, stoic subject of Faraday’s interest. The film is especially good at painting the Jeff Bridges character as one who would naturally be suspicious of those around him and the final payoff, or perhaps in this case it's better called the final reveal, is all the more powerful and understandable because of it. What's so remarkable here is the turning of the tables we see in the final act of the film. The dichotomy between the antagonist and protagonist is never fully complete until there is no doubt remaining that something must be wrong. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say that one character is in complete control from the beginning and he never plays his hand until the timing is perfect so as to align with his plans. This is a film that I found to have tremendous replay value, even with knowledge of how the movie will end. Subsequent viewings will only unravel the mystery further and further, and trying to spot the first clues pertaining to the build up to the exciting finale is only part of the fun with this movie.

Arlington Road Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p, 2.40:1 image on this disc is solid yet slightly underwhelming. The image on the whole appeared a little soft and it lacked the sharpness and absolute clarity found on the best Blu-ray transfers. There also seems to be a pumped up, artificial brightness on many scenes throughout the film. Black levels were mostly good, but I noted some wavering from shot to shot pertaining to the consistency of the blacks that was bothersome, especially in scenes in Bridge's classroom with the lights dim. A slight bit of grain appears in darker scenes. Granted, this movie is about eight years old, but I have seen better from movies of the same age and older. On the plus side, even though clarity and detail were not superb, there is enough depth to the image that it certainly surpasses the weaker transfers I've seen. Color reproduction and flesh tones fared very well. This is a hit or miss image, and despite the nagging problems I found with it, it is thankfully mostly a hit.

Arlington Road Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As one of the leaders of Blu-ray, Sony is consistent in releasing titles with uncompressed soundtracks, and thankfully Arlington Road is no exception. We get a 5.1 PCM track that, unfortunately, lacks the depth, punch, and vigor associated with the best lossless or uncompressed mixes. After the dynamic and enveloping title music, the track takes on an understated quality and never really picks back up. There is little in the way of ambience coming from the rear. In fact, surrounds remain fairly quiet throughout. This is more of a psychological thriller with very few action sequences that call for a bombardment of sound, but it's evident that action takes a back seat throughout. On the positive side of things, dialogue is reproduced with lifelike accuracy. A few instances where bass kicks in we get a nice, deep boom, but there is no hard hitting going on here, even during the finale of the film. The best thing I can say about this track is that it sounds alright, but don't go in expecting a sonic assault and you won't be overly disappointed.

Arlington Road Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fans of Arlington Road will likely be disappointed with the slim offering of extras on this disc, but the quality of the supplements present makes up for their brevity. First up is a commentary track with director Mark Pellington and actor Jeff Bridges. Both participants are rather dry but offer up some decent comments about the film. They are honest in their feelings (Bridges wasn't happy with the final poster art used, for example) and discuss issues that are seemingly taboo for mainstream Hollywood. Despite the dull nature of both participant's tones, they are completely engaging through what they have to say and this is one of the better commentary tracks I have heard. Hidden Vulnerability: The Making of 'Arlington Road' (480p, 19:34) is a basic piece featuring chats with cast and crew, a few looks behind-the-scenes, and lots of clips from the movie. A look into the alternate ending of the film (480p, 9:59) and 1080p trailers for Vacancy, Perfect Stranger, Premonition, and Ghost Rider conclude this grouping of extras.

Arlington Road Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Arlington Road is a clever, tense, and fluid edge of your seat thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers interested until the explosive, surprising conclusion. Along with excellent performances by Bridges and Robbins, this film manages to separate itself from the crowd with a powerful, unexpected, and daring ending that left me thinking long after the end of the film. Fortunately, Arlington Road looks and sounds good on Blu-ray. While we don't get demo worthy material, both are more than adequate. Supplements are a little thin, but once again, adequate. Overall this is a very good movie on a slightly above average disc. Recommended.