Review of Highway (1958) by Amanda L — 20 May 2007

"When you think about it, the world is divided into two groups - pandas and alligator boys." Set in 1994, the year Kurt Cobain took his own life, Highway is a slacker/road trip movie, or, as some people like to put it "a film where nothing happens" (which is strictly not true).

Jack (Jared Leto), an early twenty-something pool cleaner gets caught in the act with a mobster's woman. Fearing for his life, he flees his hometown of Las Vegas, convincing his best friend Pilot (Jake Gyllenhaal) to come with him.

Pilot, a drug-dealer and life-guard by trade, suggests they go to Seattle as he says it's a safe place to escape to, though he has motivations of his own for going there. Along the way, they have some strange encounters and pick up the homeless Cassie (Selma Blair), who Jack is soon drawn to.

Director James Cox (Wonderland) infuses the film with an offbeat energy; there's some great nervey camerawork to some of the 'trip' scenes and unusual, sparingly used lighting and video effects.

Writer Scott Rosenberg (Beautiful Girls) seems to have written the thing pretty much in one sitting without too much concern for plot progression or an 'arc', but this makes for a refreshing change.

Some scenes don't work, and the "The Boy" subplot isn't especially successful, but the brisk pace and energetic performances moves things along. There's definitely a homoerotic undercurrent between Pilot & Jack, which a braver film might have followed through (only Cassie seems to acknowledge it, at one point saying, "are you guys like in love or something?").

Unfortunately we instead get an ending, at least for Pilot, which isn't wholly satisfactory. Nevertheless, this an original, enjoyable film.