The Open Road

Movie was average, but the Blu couldn't sell me either
I am a big Jeff Bridges fan and appreciate everything he has done and such, but I didn't feel grabbed by this one at all. Not that there were horrible performances or bad film making, it just had a slew of little things peppered throughout that made me not give this the above average recommendation.

The story follows a minor league ball player (Timberlake) suffering a slump, who has to get his famous big league dad (Bridges) to make a final visit to his estranged and dying ex-wife. Through some poorly staged events, they have to make it a road trip together across several states (instead of flying) to make this union happen. The scenery is quite beautiful in some of the sequences, and it even upstages some of the sparse dialogue as the long-parted kin find a way to re-connect. Kate Mara is the tag-along friend who offers the love interest of Timberlake, but the chemistry never materializes in ways it should have.

The Blu quality is average to below average, with...

Family Dysfunction Hits The Pavement: A Pleasant, But Utterly By-The-Numbers, Road Trip Dramedy
As Jeff Bridges, to me, has always been one of the most underrated actors of his period--I'm glad to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves. His recent Oscar win for "Crazy Heart" is just a capper on his previous four nominations (The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Starman, and The Contender) which spanned nearly 40 years. Aside from "Picture Show," these films only hint at Bridges' range and I've always maintained that his best work often flew under the radar (Tucker: The Man And His Dream, The Fisher King, the incredible Oscar worthy Fearless, and dare I mention The Dude from The Big Lebowski) and were the true heights of his acting genius. It's only natural that Bridges has settled into somewhat of a comfort zone and "The Open Road" is a film he could do in his sleep. Playing a disheveled and obstinate man in a mid-life crisis has been Bridges' go-to role for several years now and it's on display again in this dysfunctional road trip dramedy...

Family Dysfunction Hits The Pavement: A Pleasant, But Utterly By-The-Numbers, Road Trip Dramedy
As Jeff Bridges, to me, has always been one of the most underrated actors of his period--I'm glad to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves. His recent Oscar win for "Crazy Heart" is just a capper on his previous four nominations (The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Starman, and The Contender) which spanned nearly 40 years. Aside from "Picture Show," these films only hint at Bridges' range and I've always maintained that his best work often flew under the radar (Tucker: The Man And His Dream, The Fisher King, the incredible Oscar worthy Fearless, and dare I mention The Dude from The Big Lebowski) and were the true heights of his acting genius. It's only natural that Bridges has settled into somewhat of a comfort zone and "The Open Road" is a film he could do in his sleep. Playing a disheveled and obstinate man in a mid-life crisis has been Bridges' go-to role for several years now and it's on display again in this dysfunctional road trip dramedy...

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