Sal is a young writer, who lives in New York with his mother. After the death of is father, Sal is desperately in need of some form of inspiration for a story. Enter Dean Mortuary, a free spirit, who along with his wife, Marylou journey from place to place with no real purpose. As the three of them travel across the country living life on the road, Sal draws inspiration from their Journey. Walter Salles' adaptation of the classic novel, On the Road, is a mixed bag that ultimately fails to capture this true sense of Americana it seems to be going for. Early on large parts of the film feel disjointed, as if each scene and/or experience are isolated, with no real sense of thematic or narrative connection. This idea of freedom on the open road, the craving of new experiences is certainly present but more because the script constantly reminds the viewer of this instead of the film showing it. Garrett Hedlund as Dean is really the only reason to see this film. He does a great job at capturing this self destructive character and supplies the only emotional attachment of the entire film. Dean is a character that is ultimately afraid of settling down, yet his lifestyle ultimately leaves him alone, just like his father which he never knew. I have never read the novel but I can only imagine or at least hope it is more insightful and/or thematically resonant than this film, which seemed to not have much to say. I left the theater ultimately let down, wishing someone like Monte Hellman, or even Gus Van Sant had made this cinematic adaptation. 5.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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