arnoud_debest

Sorry to bother you, but I saw this tonight and just have to leave a review. This is usually a good sign; and that rule of thumb definitely applies to this film.. It is crazy, entertaining - full of WTF moments - and criticises many aspects of our modern society in a very clever way: behind all the silliness is a dystopian society.

Thought it started off really well but eventually it spirals out of control; a shame! (also, the creators watched too much Bojack Horseman, this particular part scarred me for life). It is fast paced and all the main characters are just plain silly, actually everything is; but brilliant at the same time. If you go see this, do so WorryFree and without expectations. This is definitely out of the box; you either like it or you don't.

The tagline "A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend." does not do this film any justice. Went into it expecting a decent well-put together film about life in American suburbs but this film is so much more than that!

This film has a great recipe. Beautifully shot - the cinematography is brilliant, amazing soundtrack, good acting, and a story which you couldn't possibly predict. Ingredients which make a film more than worthwhile to watch. What I especially appreciate about this film though and why it in my opinion is something extra is how it perfectly bit by bit unravels the human psyche. Food for thought is provided.

I put off watching this for so many years and wish I saw it sooner, 10/10.

Main character, Gabriel, travels through Africa. The opening sequence of the film is beautiful, stunning. The film starts with the discovery of his body; therefore his death, the fact that you know he will die on an African mountain looms over the rest of the film. Gabriel is played well, the viewer gets to know all sides of his personality. He tries to avoid 'tourist traps' and travel as cheap and sustainable as possible, making contact and blending in with the locals. The visit of his girlfriend adds an interesting element to the film in my opinion, their relationship and (how her presence influences) his travels provide food for thought.

Authentic, a lot of the characters (seem to) play themselves, multiple languages are used and I believe it was shot in the original locations.

However, it felt very long for 127 minutes, some conversations and scenes are just tedious. I felt like there was too much dialogue at times, balance was lost here and there. But overall a very beautiful film which does a good job and capturing the essence of backpacking and the challenges a traveller faces.

Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys films such as Into The Wild.