On The Road

[Conscious Bob]

I quite enjoyed this film, considering the novel is noteworthy for it's syntax and prose style it's a good adaption. For me Garrett Hedlund does a fine job as Dean Moriarty, his portrayal of the party monster is spot on, Garrett's lucky though, the film is built around Dean just as in the book. All the characters were well played and all of them except one followed the paths set for them in the novel the exception being Sam Riley's character Sal Paradise. he has a different function in the film as a supporting character rather than as the novel's narrator which partly explains the slightly weird ending where Sam becomes more Kerouac than Paradise apparently in the process of writing On The Road.

Fans of the book IMHO will not be disappointed.

 

[nickherc]

It was okay, I guess... I really have mixed feelings about it, I feel in the movie everything is just tangled up together and the whole thing is kinda a hit and miss... I'm not saying it's bad, because it's not. It's just the book is much much better.

 

[Conscious Bob]

The book always is better.

 

[nickherc]

Indeed. Books is really good, although I can point out way. There si also Big Sur movie, have you watched it? More "artsy" than "On The Road".

 

[Conscious Bob]

I haven't, interesting, thanks for the recommendation.

 

[nickherc]

What did you think about Big Sur? It's more "loyal" to the book. And what's up with Neil, was he really that an awesome guy? Kerouac is always describing him like a semi-god.

 

[Conscious Bob]

What did you think about Big Sur? It's more "loyal" to the book. And what's up with Neil, was he really that an awesome guy? Kerouac is always describing him like a semi-god.

I've still to see Big Sur, hopefully that'll be soon. Neal Cassidy had a mercurial personality, he was a well known figure in the beat scene noted for his intellect unforunately he was also notorious for womanising, partying and drug taking, a fun guy with issues.

 

[nickherc]

Yeah, too bad Neil didn't write, I think he would make an awesome writer, but probably he was to hectic to actually sit and write. Plus writing demands gazing into your demons and I feel Neil was afraid of that. Like you said, he had issues. Yeah, I find the beat generation a whole lot "cooler" than hippies. Beats didn't want to change the world, they just wanted to be free and have fun.