While everyone else has been talking about Revolutionary Road, I took the road less traveled and watched Reservation Road a few weeks ago.

The film came out in 2007, but for the life of me, I can't remember hearing about it. From the director who brought us Hotel Rwanda comes this compelling story of two men--one torn by guilt (Mark Ruffalo) and one torn by grief (Joaquin Phoenix). It is rated R, and some may not have the stomach for it. I'd say it's a sad story, more than a violent one.

But for me, it was an interesting opportunity to take a look at what crime does to both the victim and the offender. In this case, an accident becomes an even greater crime when the driver leaves the scene. There are a few unlikely coincidences in the film, but if you can get past those, the acting is quite good, and the themes--how guilt and bitterness can be their own prisons--are worth mulling.