Scenic Route

I just finished watching this movie and I also just finished reading the 3 pages of reviews here on IMDb. It is rare to read only one (1) negative bad review while the rest gave it positive here on IMDb. having said that, this leads me to the obvious question why is there only an average rating of 6 only? I gave this movie an 8 out of a possible 10. The ending was simply brilliant! The acting was top notch. Do you guys realize how hard it is in movies these days to fool the viewer? Most people can see the ending in the first 20 minutes...

Well, this movie will fool you. It fooled both me and my girlfriend. It was great, we both looked at each other and came up with the same thing at the same time, Priceless!! To the one single person that so far gave this movie a bad review, maybe you are just upset you got fooled by a movie?

The road-trip gone-wrong/ buddy movie starts with a slow burn -- biting, often hilarious dialog introduces us to two old friends who's benign friction escalates as their predicament gets worse.

The performances are engaging and absorbing--masterfully done as most of the movie rests on these two characters versus the elements (as well as the two actors versus difficult shooting conditions, according to the Q&A after the premiere I saw at SXSW).

For an indie thriller "Scenic Route" doesn't show any low budget limitations -- the cinematography in Death Valley is breathtaking and unforgiving, yet still haunting and beautiful.

Once the film grabs you, it doesn't let go. The movie, the imagery, stays with you long after you leave the theater.

Entombed by a nightmarish quality, Scenic Route finds two old friends stranded in Death Valley after their vehicle succumbs to the surroundings (and a misguided ploy by one of the duo). The strengths of this thriller, which embraces both psychological and more straightforward approaches to the genre, comes from many facets. Be it the potent performances from Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler, strong writing from scribe Kyle Killen and a well realized vision of the setting and situation, Scenic Route offers no clear answers but what it does better than most is provide multiple outcomes that are equally compelling across the board. Even what I suppose could be considered the less probable conclusions explore themes even more complex that those of the "reasonable" variety.

Scenic Route is penned by scribe Kyle Killen who gave us the prematurely cancelled television series Awake and the hugely underrated The Beaver with Mel Gibson in 2011. Though wildly different films, this effort caries a very similar feel – an off kilter, dreamlike vibe that services the ending to great effect. He is certainly no stranger to twisting narratives, a strength when coupled with his poignant, natural script culminates in a film that is both close to home and as far from day to day reality as one could fathom.

Some of the chief themes explored include those to do with the expectations and reality of the "American dream," how people change over time but also how at others they are unable, or unwilling to. Killen delves into the jealous underpinnings of a lost friendship and also how people react either to things actually going well in your life or failing to live up to what we dreamed as kids. Fogler's Carter poignantly states that if everyone followed the path of what we drew in elementary school as our future we would live in a world full of pro athletes and astronauts and that we need someone to clean the toilets. It's a rather harsh reality but so is the life or death situation these two face.

Unravelling as a two man show, Scenic Route certainly asks a lot of its leads and in the cases of both Duhamel and Fogler they deliver. Known mostly for playing the slovenly best friend or goofy sidekick to a more straight laced lead, Fogler owns his character who while still a screw- up (at least in the eyes of most) and a bit of a man child is played completely straight. He is as well developed as Duhamel's corporate "stooge" and individual not nearly as unhappy as he expresses. They share highs and lows and banter and fight with an honesty missing from most dramas. Some of what these characters have to say may hit closer to home than you would like to hear. Perhaps most importantly, despite not always being on the best of terms, these are not bad people and we certainly root for them to make it out OK.

Where Scenic Route stumbles from time to time is in the execution of the scuffles and arguments between these two friends as the situation escalates. Their eventual reconciliations certainly ring true given the stage that has been set but the rather volcanic nature of these feuds can be a tad over the top. Who am I to say how I would react if I was dealt the same hand but given the other interactions they ring more false. Additionally, how their missed opportunities for rescue are handled in a rather derivative manner and serve to be more infuriating in how they unravel, more than a soul crushing defeat – just another bump on the road to death. It's unfortunate given how well everything else works.

This brings us to the ending. Always being a positively thinking person, I have a fairly clear comprehension of my version of Scenic Route but more so than usual I actual found it to be more interesting and complex than the flip side. This again stems from ideas surrounding being able to except good things in your life and not always question the little things or that if something exceptional befalls you it must come with a catch. Whatever way someone ultimately view Scenic Route it's difficult to imagine them not leaving with at least something to mull over.

Those who require a clear cut wrap-up will find Scenic Route maddening but those who like their brain to keep firing after the end credits will find what this film has to offer quite compelling. How you view the conclusion will rely entirely on your outlook on life. Optimists, pessimists and everyone in between will have their own view on what transpired and because of it change how they perceive the preceding acts. Different symbolism and foreshadowing will make itself seen depending on what side you land upon and I'm sure repeat viewings will uncover even more subversive dynamics and themes.

The film is basically an hour of two friends needlessly bashing each other physically and psychologically to the point where you are ready to leave the theater - which is what I did. I thought the film was terrible, but at the behest of a friend, I rented the DVD. I scrubbed through 90% of the film to the end where I was pleasantly surprised by a great plot twist that was well executed.

So my rating goes from a minus something to a reluctant five for a cool ending of a first effort. To those thinking of renting the DVD though - watching is still torture unless you chop the second act. If you do watch this film the repetitive bashing starts twenty minutes in so whenever you tire of this you can save your sanity by skipping to the start of the plot twist at an hour and fifteen minutes for a reasonably entertaining half hour short.

FLASH TO FILMMAKERS - No one but your parents and friends will pay $20 to see a feature film that takes an hour and fifteen minutes to engage its audience. The static script might have worked as an off-Broadway one act but as an 86 minute moving picture film this needed a lot of development - or at the very least a lot of heavy editing.

FLASH TO PARENTS AND FRIENDS WHO POSTED INCREDIBLE REVIEWS - if your reviews were disingenuous, you are not only cheating IMDb readers but the people behind this film. Think about it. You are building unreasonable expectations for a $20 movie ticket or DVD sale that the material cannot support. What should have been a great "reel" and learning experience for the filmmakers is now going to be held to the unreasonably high standard of your reviews. This is not going to sit well with people who watch based on your recommendations.

This was a great movie. Dan Fogler in a drama threw me but I've always liked the other guy, even though he usually does rom-com stuff that doesn't appeal to me. Very good all around. Plot summary bears some similarities to Gerry, I think it was called (Matt Damon, Casey Affleck) but waaaay less boring. A couple times during the film I thought I had sorta "figured it out" and decided I wasn't liking it, but w/in 10mins it changed my mind again. Being fundamentally a one-setting movie wasn't a problem/didn't get bored. The actors carry this thing very well and are very believable. I'm not one of those people (and damn, there's sooo many) that try and like "solve" movies while they're watching them. I don't wonder whether the butler did it or not because I'm still watching the movie and why spoil it for myself? I did slightly anticipate a few things but only a minute or two before events would unfold. It will trick you, shock you, impress you, do all the good things a good movie should. I did find the initial dialogue/argument that kicks things off slightly forced on Foglers part but oh well, didn't know the characters yet. Makes sense in retrospect. The ending was great for me. Thought it wasn't going to sit well but Josh Duhamel sells it just w/the look in his eyes (I feel somewhat lame saying that but it's true). Many who got all booty-hurt about Inception will pop up again after this but I think it ended just right, which is a rare enough thing these days (as is being well done and at times surprising. And a relatively fresh idea to boot). I feel that this movie wants you to get some perspective and appreciate your life and what you have, since many of us get stuck thinking about what we lack (quite natural given the pain in the posterior that life is for most people). You should watch it. Definitely worth your time