Sunday, June 17, 2012

Road to Nowhere

There's a scene late in Road to Nowhere in which an actress asks her director (who she is also sleeping with) how many movies he's seen. He pauses and then replies, "You shouldn't really ever ask a filmmaker that. We don't ever really want to admit how much time we spend obsessing over other people's dreams."

Now, let's dissect that line on a few different levels. First, it is fucking perfect. It's as precise and accurate a line of dialogue concerning our finest artistic medium as I've ever heard. When the character said it in the movie, I literally sat upright, in awe of its succinct brilliance. On another level, the line perfectly describes the movie it is contained in, which, as a whole, I certainly will not be able to do.


Road to Nowhere is as confounding a piece of contemporary American cinema as I've seen. It shifts narrative with no warning, introduces actors who play one, two, maybe even three roles (I think), and never fully let's you in on the joke that no one is laughing at. Usually, movies like this lose my attention about as quickly as it takes to hit the eject button on a DVD player, but there's something about Road to Nowhere that makes it impossible to look away. Something, in fact, may not be accurate, as there are many many things going on here.
The film is directed by Monte Hellman, best known if his iconic cult classic, Two Lane Blacktop. That film was made 40 years ago, and it is the most recent Hellman film I've seen until now. No matter, because Hellman, never a director known to play it by the book, certainly hasn't lost his touch. At age 80, Hellman has proved through Road to Nowhere that he's a man still in welcome of a challenge. He'll shoot a flick adopting the inexpensive means of modern technology (the film was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II, which anyone can buy for less than $2,000), distribute it how he sees fit, then simply move on.  You don't have to like Road to Nowhere (certainly, many will not), but it is damn hard to not appreciate it.

As I attempt to begin a paragraph of plot summary, I realize that little (or none) of it will make sense. That's partly my fault, but it's also the way the film is meant to be revealed. Road to Nowhere doesn't issue many details, and I'm not going to either. Hell, even if I did explain what it's all about, it certainly wouldn't help matters much.
At its core, Road to Nowhere is about a kind, driven Hollywood film director shooting a murder mystery in the same North Carolina town where the real murder occurred. After finding Laurel (Shannyn Sossamon) online, he tracks her down and demands that she play the lead. But, as she constantly reminds him, she isn't an actress, and casting her would be a mistake. But Mitchell (Tygh Runyan), the director, doesn't care. Laurel IS the woman for the part. So cast her he does.

For the remainder of the film, Hellman cross cuts the shooting of the movie with scenes from the movie itself (which, too, is called Road to Nowhere). Sometimes he lets us know that we're watching a scene from the movie within (as the crew is clearly visible), other times, we aren't exactly sure which is which. At the same time, two technical advisors on the film, a blogger who detailed the real crime, and an insurance investigator who knew the real people involved, are digging deeper into the real mystery, thereby exposing some harsh truths about the film itself.

You with me? Neither am I. Look, in truth, Road to Nowhere is a kind of movie you're going to love or hate. Those who try to figure it all out and search for The Why will be as frustrated as they were during The Tree of Life. But for the select few who are able to sit back and immerse themselves in the unique, puzzling world Hellman and screenwriter Steven Gaydos have created, well, then, more power to you. A-

10 comments:

  1. I had mixed feelings about this. There's moments that I like like some of the technical stuff and Shannyn Sossaman's performance. I just had issues with the screenplay where I found the narrative to be confusing and the character of the director I thought was kind of bland.

    I think I'll get that camera one day just to make a film.

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    1. I totally agree with you. There were times (especially in the beginning) when I thought, "Yeah, this isn't for me..." but then I really got into it. And yeah, seeing them shoot in pretty much the exact same camera I have is nothing short of inspirational.

      You should DEFINITELY get the camera. Let me know when you get close to buying it and I can help guide you on lenses. The body of the camera is the easy part... the challenge is in the lenses.

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  2. This was one of those that I may not have "loved", but which I was definitely shaken by in a way. Trying to make sense of it seems a futile endeavour, but as you say, it's very easy to just get lost and immersed by its mood and atmosphere. It was hard to get it out of my head after I had seen it.

    Like or not, I'm mainly just glad that people are seeing it at all. Few seem to ever talk about it, which is a shame. It deserves to gain a loyal, if small, following.

    Maybe that's just the Sossamon fanboy in me talking, though. I've had a soft spot for her for quite a while. Her role in Road to Nowhere is arguably her most challenging to date, and she is just great here. I was hoping this one would lead to some kind of career resurgence for her. So far, this hasn't happened.

    Great review, Alex!

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    1. My fellow Sossamon fan! Not gonna lie, I was really hoping you'd read this... you're the only other person I know who values her talent so much. Ok, on to the film...

      I agree that this film deserves a loyal following... and maybe it being available on Netflix Instant will help with that. I just don't get Sossamon. I don't know if she doesn't get offered the roles, or if she just chooses to not work that much. She is so so good, I wish she was in much more.

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    2. Yeah, her rocky career is puzzling. After her breakthrough with A Knight's Tale and 40 Days and 40 Nights, she perhaps chose poorly. The Rules of Attraction, as great as it is, has as many detractors as it has fans, and The Order was just lackluster. And then she got pregnant and took some time off from acting. Then it was on to TV work, narrow indies like Wristcutters, and starring in shitty horror movies - including One Missed Call, which was so bad it effectively killed off the whole J-horror remake craze. Not the best thing to have on your resume, I suppose.

      But even that doesn't explain it all, since there are plenty of actors who pick odd movies to appear in and still retain recognition. Considering that Sossamon has a unique look and charm to her, it's strange that she hasn't managed to develope a large following.

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    3. Yup, agree with everything you said, I've seen all those movies and more or less have the exact same opinion about them (and Sossamon's performances in them) as you do. I think I'm going to watch the HBO show How To Make It In America, she was only in one seasons, but I've heard it's okay, so maybe it'll be worth it.

      Did you see Life is Hot in Crackdown? I was not a fan at all.

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  3. Great to see Shannyn is doing good movies, I really liked her in Rules of Attraction. Fantastic review, I never heard of this movie before but now I will definetly see this one, I love films where I don't know what the hell is going on and leave room for theories and interpretations.

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    1. I LOVE Rules of Attraction (and so does Emil... what can I say, we're fans haha). I really think you'll enjoy Road to Nowhere. I'm very curious to read your thoughts.

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    2. Will try to catch it next week, my final exam is on Friday and once I sober up I'll catch up on the films I want to see :)

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    3. Ahhh the whole finishing-finals-and-spending-a-week-in-drunken-delirium. Christ I miss college. Well, parts.

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