Review of On the Road (2012) by Glenn G — 03 Nov 2012

The iconic novel by Jack Kerouac was always considered impossible to adapt to film. A story which defined the post-World War II generation as its characters traveled America experimenting with drugs and getting lost in the emerging jazz and beat poetry of their time, ON THE ROAD spoke to young people much like RENT did to 90s young adults. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Walter Salles' artful yet incredibly remote and tedious film.

While infused with some beautiful moments and a Terrence Malick-lite approach to the material, this elliptical film never really latches onto its characters. It feels like a well-sustained jazz number, scooting and veering around, bringing memorable images here and there, while keeping an arm's length from its protagonists. I'll take away the shot of a young woman caught up in the sexual heat of a jazz concert, fanning herself from the excitement of this music, or of Hedlund lost in a drug-fueled dance.

Kirsten Stewart gives a naked performance, and I mean that literally. She's naked a LOT, but her connection to this wispy character never feels fully formed. Sam Riley, who plays the Jack Kerouac role is just kinda bland. It's a miracle that Garrett Hedlund manages to dig deep and deliver a surprisingly wonderful performance, because the obstacles here are seemingly insurmountable. All of the actors, while individually capable, aren't given a lot to work with, although Kirsten Dunst has a terrific scene where she calls Hedlund on his crap.

This is a really long slog of a movie. What seemed romantic and exciting in the novel, comes across as sad and aimless on film. I applaud the attempt, and know that Salles was a pretty good choice for this, but I listen to music to evoke a mood, but I go to films to connect to characters. Otherwise, they just end up feeling like museum installations.