On the road, to nowhere

Here is a repetitive bore of a movie in which the three main characters (Hedlund, Riley and Stewart) spend far too much time chasing three things: alcohol, drugs and sex. Yes, they’re either getting drunk, getting high, or getting laid. One of them fancies himself as a bit of a deep-thinking writer, and he serves as the film’s narrator. We see things in Sal Paradise’s (Riley) point of view, who records every single wild experience he shares with various people in his life.

Plans to adapt Jack Kerouac’s classic novel of the same name have been around for decades, and here it finally is, in year 2012, with a fresh, good-looking large ensemble that tries to bring out the complexities in each character. And the talented cast does truly give it their all but what this ends up looking like is a series of arty short films strung together with no real clear sense of purpose or direction. Plus it goes on for far too long, and without a real story to tell, even a standard two-hour film feels like an unbearable chore.

Sal has lost his father, and whilst living with a writer’s block, pondering the meaning of life, meets Dean Moriarty (Hedlund), a suave, enigmatic youngster who he is captivated by. His energy, his spirit, his attitude, just everything about him clicks for some reason, and Moriarty immediately becomes his inspiration to venture out into the world, live his life, and the two hit it off becoming best of friends. The two of them travel a lot, and we get many shots of them driving across empty roads in America, comfortably drifting along to their next destination, wherever that may be.

Of course, a fair share of women enter the picture: Stewart is the dim, horny young girlfriend of Dean, a shallow role the actress has played many, many times in the past in the vampire franchise that made her a global sensation whereas Dunst tunes in for a fine supporting turn as the one woman who genuinely tries to make something out of the irresponsible and reckless Dean. Braga’s Terry, a cotton picker who Sal has a brief but passionate affair with, is never fully explored, neither is Adams’ eccentric Jane, who makes a brief cameo appearance but not adding anything substantial to what the film is trying to say. Four potentially interesting characters, played by four talented actresses, all put to no good use as the film is far too busy trying to tackle the budding, complex relationship between the two men.

But the film also has trouble diving into the male leads. Dean is defined by the mad way with which he chooses to live his life. So we see a lot of monotonous, tedious scenes of Dean hitting rock bottom. He drinks a lot of spirits, smokes a lot of weed, and screws a lot of women. Being with Sal ups his mood even more, and his drunken antics get worse. Exactly what Sal is so captivated by is anyone’s guess, and the film fails to truly address the bond that keeps these two together.

Credit has to go however, to the two actors with an enormous burden of bringing to life the two aimless drifters who are difficult to figure out. Riley, driving the narrative forward with his narration, conveys a lot of feelings during his time of growth and change, always keeping us updated with what is going on, when, why, where and how. Although the real revelation and breakout star here has to be Hedlund, who brings out such natural, classic alpha-male macho charisma so readily to his role, and the untamed ways he goes about his life is captured with much dedication and power. But his impressive range doesn’t end there, as he also brings out the more grounded, tender side of his character, a calmer alternative that is rarely shown. It’s obvious he has trouble following him wherever he goes, and he does have several moments of rather depressing revelation, intermittent reality checks, that tell him no good can come out of any of this. This is where the more sensitive expression of Hedlund’s superb showing stirs up a lot of sympathy and emotions which are otherwise very lacking in the film’s dry duration.

Basically, it all comes down to the two kids needing to grow up and face the harsh truths of life. And no prizes for guessing who comes out as the eventual winner, and who needs to come grovelling back after his futile attempts to lead the more “fun” years don’t quite work out. And due to barely developed characters and a superficial look at their relationships, it is difficult to feel anything for anyone in the end. But thanks to the exceptional cast trying their best, and some lovely colourful shots of the peaceful countryside, On the Road avoids becoming an absolute disaster.