Review of Big Sur (2013) by Simon G — 14 Jun 2014

Writer/director Michael Polish perfectly adapts Jack Kerouac's swan song for the big screen.

We're treated to moments of Jack (played brilliantly by Jean-Marc Barr) enjoying the beauty of Big Sur - the giant red woods, the donkey on the beach et al - before he finally succumbs to the alcohol induced delirium tremens from days of drinking.

What really sets Big Sur apart from Walter Salles' On the Road is the extensive use of voice overs. Admittedly this wouldn't have worked in the case of Road but the combination of Barr's readings of parts of the novel over the beautiful but daunting images of Big Sur create a kind of visual poem to bring Kerouac's writing to life.

This isn't the Kerouac of road though - all frantic running around, jazz bars, road trips at the height of the Beat movement - but rather a meditation on that scene and how "jaded" Kerouac has become as he descends into a haze of paranoia on his third visit to Lawrence Ferlinghetti's cabin by the ocean.

The supporting cast create a strong foundation to surround Jack as he navigates his feelings of confusion and despair as he heads towards his now infamous nervous breakdown and thanks to Barr we aptly experience the weight of Jack's sadness through his measured and restrained performance.