Lost in the Sun

This is a well-acted film for sure. It's nice to see Josh Duhamel in a gritty, dramatic role (brown teeth for the part even). The actor who portrays the kid was excellent as well.

This is a road movie drama with suspense and intrigue. Slow-moving at at times, it's got a moody, eerie feel that just pulls you right in. Should you like Josh's character, should you not? Those answers are not all forthcoming immediately. It's interesting to watch the bond develop between his character and the boy, and at times, your perspective on that may change (true bond? Stockholm Syndrome?). In the extra features, Josh says this was a movie he was trying to make for a long time. It's a independent film definitely worth watching.

"Lost in the Sun" is a small independent film that itself gets a little lost on the way, but you can enjoy the ride because of the terrific acting from Josh Duhamel (Leo from "All My Children", Major Lennox from "Transformers"), Josh Wiggins ("Max"), Lynn Collins ("Wolverine"), and Emma Fuhrmann ("Blended"). It's a non-traditional road show and it delivers a fascinating look at the back roads of Texas and the meager life of a small time crook with a good heart but little else.

We are all looking for a place that feels like home and people to share it with. For most it isn't a cottage with a white fence and two dogs, and we make the best along the way. Sometimes the search is in vain and sometimes we can get back home, but we can get lost in the sun along the way.

I sort of stumbled across this film, and thought yeah it has got an OK cast, the ratings on IMDb (specially the amount of 1 votes) were sort of on the low side, but glad I gave it a go.

It has a very simple story line that guides you along from the minute it starts, and I really got caught up in it, the music was partly to blame, but it was filmed with a feeling most high end Hollywood products would kill for.

Great performance by the whole cast, especially the kid, and seeing it has a low score of 6 on IMDb, I gave it a 10 as it deserves a way better rating than it has. If you like a film that gives you that chill kind of feeling, with out blood and guts purely because of the great acting and simple but very effective story, than you will love this film!

10 out of 10

Except for the gun propping up the story, good - very good - in a European film melancholy joie de vivre, Francois Truffaut, or "Paris, Texas," kind of way. I'm reviewing it because it's quite good. If I'm still remembering it the next day, it was noteworthy. That's in no small measure a credit to excellent photography by Robert Barocci. I'll just say, the story could easily have been written without a gun - 'cuz that's my soapbox. Guns in films are so prevalent, there should be an Oscar for the guns.

The character played by Josh Duhamel isn't very deep, and is kind of an unredeemable punk, but that's the way the character was supposed to be played. Josh Wiggens is excellent in his role as the orphaned boy. The pair are a credible duo. I never thought for a second that the characters were Hollywood contrivances. A lot of critics thought the characters and story were too thin to carry a full-length feature. I disagree. It's a wretched tendency that U.S. filmmakers have of tending toward clobbering audiences with action or sentiment. The characters unfold in a quiet way through their gestures and appearances, as in a Cormac McCarthy novel.

A great haunting score by Daniel Hart is appropriate for the film and plays an unmistakably powerful role in accenting the drama, but I have to admit I'm a bit weary of the rock strings Godspeed You Black Emperor/Explosions in the Sky copycat genre, not because I don't like it, but because it offends my sensibilities that it's been beaten from overuse into flattened roadkill at the edge of a highway. Nevertheless, it's essential to under-girding this drama.

The score's performers got dropped into the post-production credits, I hate to say, because they carried the film through the longer ponderous landscape moments - carried the film more than, say, the hair artists. I looked them up, 'cuz that's how I rolls: Shawna Hamilton (cello), Borak Loftipour (percussion), Veronica Gan (violin), Maria Demus (violin), Annika Donnen (violin). These all seem to be musicians trying to get their footing in the business - all in Texas, I think - maybe Denton.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3593046/

I watched this one tonight and was pleasantly surprised. As I had never heard of this movie, I didn't expect much . . . but I ended up being moved enough by the film to write a review on this Saturday night.

The movie is about a boy whose mother has just died. He is going to live with his grandparents in New Mexico and a mysterious stranger offers to give him a ride. Of course, he has no idea what he is in for by accepting the offer and a fascinating "road trip/coming of age" story ensues (with a few surprises toward the end).

I hate long reviews, so let's get to it: I grew up in Texas and the locations used by the director are lonesome and add great authenticity to the movie. The directing was above average by Trey Nelson (who appears to be primarily a TV guy until this film) and I thought the acting was excellent by Josh and especially Josh Wiggins as Louis.

This is a pretty good film if you are in the mood for a lonesome road movie. 7/10 cheers