Marval Movie

"If you have nothing to say then don't write, go out and live. see the world, get your heart broken"    

-Neil Gaiman

On the Road is the story of people, places and problems that follows some that are more flawed that others and their struggles through life and the truth of their own imperfections.

The film starts in 1947 and gives us Sal a young twenty-something man living in San Fransisco who surrounds himself with aspiring writers who have Allen Ginsberg aspirations, so does Sal.  Sal is played by Sam Riley, a very good as well as an underused actor, but when Sal actually sits down to write (possibly the next great American novel) he just cant (haven't we all been there) so he hangs out with his friends who philosophies and eventually introduce him to Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), a hansom charismatic man who seems so deep and can get any girl (or guy) he wants, and does.

One of the girls is Marylou played by Nasrani Stewart, she is a shaky, misguided girl who follows her heart and instincts more than her brain, for better or worse. I never had  a duduk kasus with Nasrani Stewart but here I admire her, she has to do some pretty extreme stuff that pushes her beyond the bad reputation from the Twilight Saga and gives her a position to a brave daring actor.

The movie is shot very lovingly like something that you imagine a John Steinbeck novel translation into film would be like, there are a lot of wide country areas, that span from weather, to season to city and they are all captured very well. On the Road is nothing but a hansom movie to look at.

The movie is adapted from the book, by the same name, by Jack Kerouac.  The book is on the list of 100 greatest English language novels of the 20th century so naturally a movie adaptation is a big deal. I haven't read the book but from what I understand I would enjoy it, the screenplay was written by Jose Rivera who has a lot of work under his belt (mostly plays) and he delivers a very unique script that is both colorful and somber and focuses on the characters and all their complexities.

One of the biggest merits I give the movie is that it has A) assembled an all star cast that also makes each star memorable, not just a simple walk by cameo that you instantly forget about when there gone B) Every actor has to do some pretty gutsy stuff that most actors I would think would shy away from whether it be reveling themselves, doing or even saying some pretty intense material that left me feeling satisfied.

One of the celebrity cameos that stick out to me the most is Viggo Mortensen as Old Bull Lee, he plays a more mature poet-like character that, unlike Dean could be the real deal and who seems to have reached a William Burroughs state in his existence with a comfortable house and a gun at the ready whenever he needs it.

On the Road captures a sense about experiences and life in one neatly wrapped package that will stick with you, the characters may be a little pretentious but the movie is self aware of that and it also has guts, I spoke about The Rum Diary and how that movie didn't have the guts to really show the material that was more necessary to the story well this does, this is one of the most daring films Ive seen in the theaters and will most likely see all year.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 4