Drowning on Dry Land

Sometimes (depending on where you live) you see a movie you've never heard of on the video shelves and it turns out to be a peach. "The House of Yes" is an example.

And on the other hand, there's "Downing on Dry Land", a movie that went straight to video and deserved to.

Barbara Hershey hails a N.Y. cab, driven by Naveen Andrews, and having the approx. $5000 it would actually take to do so, requests that he drive her out to the Southwestern desert. On the way down they make decidedly underwhelming conversation. Both seem to be possessed by neurosises which are never really explained. For Andrews, they apparently serve to keep him in a thoroughly sour mood all the time he not only has the fare of a cab driver's dreams, but the company of an attractive and accessible woman as well. Anyone out there feel sorry for him? Neither one properly thanks their "guardian angel", a South western mechanic who apparently can repair a body-damaged Chevy in less than an hour and for free.

Ever notice, by the way, that people on road trip movies always avoid taking interstates - which, let's face it, are boring - and wind up at ramshakle motels - I guess because Super 8's and Best Westerns are pretty boring also.

The only interesting feature of this video was the physical appearance of Hershey, which at 51 was nothing short of astonishing.

Bad writing, aimless direction, and the constant interruption by inexplicable Indian music make this movie basically unwatchable.

Barbara Hershey and Naveen Andrews have no chemistry whatsoever. Also the idea that this beautiful young man would be attracted to the much older Hershey's lifeless and weird character is just too far to stretch suspension of disbelief. Starts nowhere, and never engages any interest, or sympathy, beyond the unsatisfied hope that something might happen soon. The only bright spot is Naveen Andrews, cranky and withholding as his character is, at least he's interesting to watch and has an inner life and energy even when hampered by senseless dialogue.

Two likeable (in my opinion) actors, Barbara Hershey and Naveen Andrews, play two very unsympathetic characters. Hershey is a batty broad who Andrews, a taxi driver, picks up in Manhattan one night. She wants to hire him to take her to the desert. Thus begins one of the worst road movies I've seen in years. Why these two people would even talk after spending 48 hours together, let alone become romantically involved is beyond me. Their first lovemaking is one of the most ridiculous scenes of it's type. The film's only redeeming value comes from the performance of John Doe, as a friendly, helpful local in the town where the two leads ultimately wind up.

Barbara Hershey and Naveen Andrews are well trained actors with a pretty good plotline in their hands but a pretty poorly written script. There is only one defining scene to this entire movie. I gave it an 8/10 because I enjoyed these actors so much, especially Hershey. At 50, she looks AMAZING. The on top of the car scene was a little much but those scenes pretty much made the movie. The ending, however, didn't do anything. It just laid there and when the credits begin to roll I asked myself "Okay, what was the point of all that?". Overall, if you're a die-hard fan of either of these two people this movie is a MUST see. But if you're not, well you might just walk away a little dissappointed.

The two leads, Hershey and Andrews, are two of the worst people I ever knew. What made matters even worse was that they were screwing each other. Together they made conditions Hell. His breath could stop a train and she left her panties for me which had a green crusty something in the crotch. Quite disgusting. You would think she would try to hide this ,but NO. I had to hand wash them in the sink of the sleazy motel's bathroom. She and he are Pigs of the highest order. It's no wonder that she does not work often and he has limitations. It left such a bad taste that it became the last film I did in LA.