On the Road

How far do you have to travel in life to truly find yourself?

Dean and Sal are the best of friends, in a post World War II America, trying to find "IT", while also trying to find themselves. Sal, along with their friend Carlo and Dean, make their way from one end of the country to the other, always traveling by car and enduring some of the most vicious conditions which the US has to throw at them.

Dean has a wondering spirit, not only in life, but also with the ladies. His on again, off again 16 year old wife Marylou, gets dragged from pillar to post, one day in favour, the next day not, while the three friends smoke and drink their way through their young lives, always in search of something.

Through all the debauchery and living life to the fullest, the three young men, and those around them try to discover the truth about their fathers, the truth about themselves and also have as much fun as they possibly can before it kills them. When finally they start growing up, the group splits, children are produced and lessons are learned, but still the young men continue their search for that elusive something. Only once their time on the road has concluded, will they find the truth.

An intriguing and interesting, yet debauchery filled film which lays bare the lives of the leading characters and exposes a much missed time in American history, for what it really was. Set just four years after World War II, it shows the seeming futility which the young generation felt, not understanding their parents, but crying out for their own independence, even though they are not sure what it was.

A talented young cast in this one, 22 year old Englishman, Sam Riley taking the lead as "Sal Paridise" in a role that seemed almost written for him. He shows a decent amount of emotion which is needed in this part, and a maturity that could see him go far in this industry. In his first outing since "Woman in Love" in 2011, he impresses and keeps the film going at a decent pace, interacting very well with his fellow cast members. Look for more from this talented young man.

Garrett Hedlund plays a leading role in the part of "Dean Moriarty", a lost and confused young man, looking to take the most out of life, hoping experiences will somehow replace the father who has been missing from his life for the past decade. Hedlund makes his first showing on the big screen since the 2010 blockbuster, "Tron Legacy" and gives a far better performance this time out, showing some true depth and emotion with his portrayal of this troubled young man. He is impressive and should well go on to bigger things.

"Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart shows for the first time in her career, that she can actually act; with her portrayal of 16 year old "MaryLou". She gives a convincing showing, quite easily her best performance, illustrating that there is a fair bit of talent there. This is also the first time she has opted to go topless,  something which certainly fits into the story, which is filled with illicit sex and partner swapping, but I am not too sure if this is what her career needed. It is good to see that the talent is there and hopefully she can go onto bigger and better things.

British born Tom Sturridge continues his very decent run in major motion pictures with this outing as "Carlo Marx", a very confused young man who adores "Dean" and will get himself into a lot of trouble in order to impress his idol. His character is complex and he plays it brilliantly, but could have spent more time on screen, as he deserved to play a bigger part. Kirsten Dunst does very well indeed as the "older" woman in the love triangle, bringing the character of "Camille" to life with all its broody dissatisfaction that a woman scorned can have. Keep an eye out for Viggo Mortensen to have a lovely five minute cameo as the rather mental "Old Bull Lee".

The film is gripping and a very decent watch, a lot better than I expected of it. It has many adult themes and a fair bit of nudity, so not one for the family, but well worth the time you spend on it, even it if it is possibly 20 minutes too long.

5.5/10