Based on a script that was an official favorite at the L’Atelier du Cannes in 2006, ‘Road, Movie’ is directed by Dev Benegal and produced by Ross Katz & Susan B. Landau. It is a slow but decent attempt made by he makers based in US. The movie has its own positives and negatives, and more oft it is negative!
The masala movie lovers would tend to sleep all these 95 minutes and those who love to watch art cinema, would not like the over dramatic end! The wooing coverage of barren Kutch and other parts of the Indian terrain has gained enough accolades from the audiences. But the story and screenplay lacks that grip.
This movie is a story of the intriguing journey of a restless man Vishnu (played by Abhay Deol). He is not interested in the failing business of hair oil operated by his father and he decides to get away. He finds a resort in the form of an old truck.
It belongs to his uncle and was once used as a theater on wheels that was run by his uncle. This truck and some stuff that is safe in its back are now sold to a museum in a city of sea. Vishnu takes the responsibility of taking the truck from the deserts to the sea.
On the way he gives a lift to a few interesting characters – Mohammed Faizal Usmani who plays a young boy who has eloped from his house, Staish Kaushik who is an old age entertainer who keeps wandering around and Tannishtha Chatterjee who plays a beautiful gypsy woman. As the team of these 4 roams around in the empty barren lands of India, they come across some harsh realities of life.
The story twists when they meet some corrupt cops and the leader of water mafia in the area played by Yashpal Sharma. The only key to their freedom after this is the material that is kept in the truck – a rare film collection and two antique film projectors. This projector also manages to take you to some dream sequences in the midst.
As the journey proceeds, all the characters face a transformation for a lifetime, especially Vishnu who was never serious in life. He now realizes the importance of this blissful gift of God and how to take of this in a dependable manner.
While the actors have done full justice to the given roles, the story is narrated in a very slow fashion and never takes a pick. Also the love track amidst Abhay and Tanishtha plays no magic. In fact, their lip locking seems to be uselessly placed just to acquire fake glamour quotient.
The music how ever does play some magic. US based music director Michael Brooke has beautifully gelled Rajasthani folk with peppy beats.
All in all, it is okay if you miss this one on the big screen!
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