Coming to Film4 this week is a fantastic film: Arlington Road. With an all star cast including Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack and Jeff Bridges this is truly one of my all time favourite movies.
The basic Plot outline, without giving too much away is that recently widowed College Professor Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) forms a friendship with his neighbours Oliver and Cheryl Lang after he saves the life of their only son. Things seem to be going well, and the couples children soon become best friends, but as time passes Michael begins to get the feeling that his neighbours are hiding a disturbing secret. The more Michael learns about Oliver, the more his concerns grow and eventually lead up to an explosive and captivating ending that is not to be missed.
I cannot praise this movie enough. Tim Robbins plays an excellent role as the creepy and suspicious Oliver Lang, this accompanied by a stand out performance from Joan Cusack (usually better known for her comedy roles) as his equally unbalanced wife and Jeff Bridges as the curious next door neighbour makes for a brilliantly acted and genuinely captivating storyline.
You can’t help but be drawn into this complex and unsettling plot that really gets you wondering “How well do I really know my own neighbours?!” The ending to this movie is one of the best that I have seen; it is completely unexpected with the perfect mix of tension and urgency leading up to the final harrowing scene.
This is the perfect movie to tune in to if you are feeling in the mood for something that requires a little bit of brainpower and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire 117 minutes run time. Definitely worth making time for!
Full cast list for Arlington Road: Auden Thornton, Billy D. Washington, Charles Sanders, Charlie Webb, Christopher Dahlberg, Cindy Hom, Darryl Cox, Dave Allen Clark, Deborah Swanson, Denver Williams, Diane Peterson, Gabriel Folse, Gina Santori, Grant Garrison, Hans Stroble, Harris Mackenzie, Homer Jon Young, Hope Davis, Hunter Burkes, Jeff Bridges, Jenni Tooley, Joan Cusack, John Hussey, Johnathan Gwyn, Josh Ridgway, Ken Manelis, Laura Poe, Lee Stringer, Lin Oeding, Loyd Catlett, Mary Ashleigh Green, Mason Gamble, Michelle Du Bois, Naya Castinado, Paul Pender, Robert Gossett, Sid Hillman, Spencer Treat Clark, Stanley Anderson, Steve Ottesen, Tiffany Grant, Tim Robbins, Todd Terry, Viviane Vives, Willie Dirden.