Review of On the Road (2012) by Shanzeh I — 21 Nov 2012

Being part of a test screening and a focus group, it was interesting to hear what others had to say about the film on top of my own opinions. "On The Road"'s biggest selling point is its cast.

While not stellar all around, everyone at least had decent performances, with, in my opinion, Garrett Hedlund and Kirsten Dunst standing out. However, many of the characters were either underutilized or underdeveloped, with their relations to one another quite unclear.

As a matter of fact, most of the movie was left to the viewer having to infer and assume based on information thrown to us. The opening was confusing, its flow was choppy, its pace was inconsistent, and even if it checked all the boxes of what "On The Road" consisted of, it lacked a distinct story arc to grab on to.

Some scenes felt pointless, as with the many sex scenes, even if it was a huge part of the novel. On the plus side, this film adaptation seems to stay true to the Kerouac novel, so I've heard. The cinematography and music worked in very well, but something was amiss.

I did enjoy it more than others but as a whole, "On The Road" would definitely gain from some reworking (better editing, clearer narrative), and with clever marketing, it will draw in the crowds, be it fans of the book or fans of the cast.