Grief, loss, rage and revenge are some of the most raw emotions filmmakers tap into. Used correctly, they can help make for a compelling film, but all too often the attempt to capture strong, powerful emotions in script form translate to overwrought and oftentimes laughable performances. Luckily this isn’t the case with the film "Reservation Road."

The film starts with a look into the lives of two families; one heads home from a day at the park while elsewhere, a father and son get into their car happy and content from a win at a Red Sox game. A momentary lapse of concentration leads to an accident involving their two vehicles, leaving the family’s son dead while the other car speeds off into the night.

"Reservation Road" almost tries to do too much by cramming two stories in one film and at times it threatens to teeter over the edge. The first half primarily looks at the grief experienced by both parties involved in the accident. Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly play grieving parents Ethan and Grace, and they exhibit all the weeping and screaming usually seen in Oscar-bait movies. This is different though. The pair brings sincerity to their roles and through their fabulous performances you’ll feel their emotional torment.

The story is split by also showing the perspective of the hit and run driver played by Mark Ruffalo. His character, Dwight, is undergoing his own pain and suffering as he tries to deal with the guilt of what he’s done. At the same time, he’s afraid the consequences will cause him to lose his own son; the one good thing in his life. He spends the first half of the movie wrestling with his own conscience and tries to find the strength to turn himself in.

Then the movie starts to tread in dangerous waters. When Ethan becomes frustrated with the investigation he hires a law firm to stay on top of the police department. Of course Dwight is the man assigned to Ethan’s case and it doesn’t take too long for Ethan to suspect that Dwight might indeed be the hit and run driver he’s looking for.

What was a sobering look into guilt almost becomes a cat and mouse thriller as Ethan is hell-bent on a self-destructive path to find the killer while Dwight wavers from wanting to escape clean to wanting to turn himself in. Will Ethan’s personal investigation reveal Dwight’s identity? Can either man find redemption or will they both head down the road to self-destruction? The thriller element seems tacked on and completely unnecessary. I think it would have been much more interesting minus this angle.

"Reservation Road" was directed by Terry George and while I loved his film "Hotel Rwanda," both films share a similar weakness. As good as the acting was in "Hotel" the movie seemed flat. It wasn’t very interesting to look at and neither is "Reservation Road." Both films basically could be stage plays and maybe that’s where George got his background training. He’s really, really good with actors but his camerawork is weak and boring. "Road" at times looks like a made-for-tv Lifetime network movie. It’s not sloppy or poorly made; just pedestrian and unexciting.

Having said that, I still really like this movie and it’s because of the actors. As I mentioned before, Phoenix, Connelly and Ruffalo are all great, but there’s more. Minor roles from Mira Sorvino and child actors Elle Fanning and Eddie Alderson are all very good. What George lacks in the use of the camera he makes up for by coaxing the very best from his cast and really that’s what matters most.

I think some of the story goes over-the-top but the quality of the acting is what is going to make me recommend this film. It’s a fairly depressing story but one that I think is worth watching. If you want to see strong actors doing what they do best, then you should check it out. After a summer of lame sequels and silly heroics, it’s good to get back to get to some quality…even if it has a few warts.

3.5 out of 5
Rated R