Continuing our pseudo-coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, we now can report on the first reviews for ‘On the Road’, a film that we at The Awards Circuit have been keeping an eye on for years now. Perhaps not surprisingly, the film is getting a mixed response from critics (also as noted by Pete Hammond on Deadline here), with some falling under its spell and others being left rather cold overall. Clayton and myself are certainly looking forward to seeing this one and deciding for ourselves (though he’s slightly more skeptical of its Oscar hopes than I am…not that either of us are predicting an awards powerhouse), but after the jump you all can see what the early word is on the flick. It’s probably going to be a rather divisive one in general release, and so far that’s been the case over in Europe as well. Check out what some of the reviews said below…
No one has been as over the moon for the movie as Jeff Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere seemingly is here in his quick take. He calls it, among other things “Rank, Joyous, Brilliant, Crackling” and writes “Walter Salles’ On The Road is masterful and rich and lusty, meditative and sensual and adventurous and lamenting all at once. It has Bernardo Bertolucci’s “nostalgia for the present” except the present is 1949 to 1951 — it feels completely alive in that time. No hazy gauze, no bop nostalgia. Beautifully shot and cut, excitingly performed and deeply felt”. As for others, Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter writes here that the film is “A beautiful and respectful adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s landmark novel that intermittently leaves the ground to take flight”, and James Rocchi of The Playlist is a bit more mixed here, giving it a B rating and saying it’s “lustrous but long winded”. Some have been more dismissive, but most seem to be talking about it in these regards. Stay tuned to see what we think when we get a chance to see it in the coming weeks and months…
-Thoughts? Discuss on the Forum!
koook160
May 25, 2012 at 3:09 pm
The only acting award possibility at the moment is Garret Hedlund of all people. He’s gotten rave reviews even from people who didn’t like the film. As for Kristen Stewart… well, let’s just say she’s lucky if she doesn’t get another Razzie nomination after the reviews she’s been getting.
koook160(Quote) (Reply)
Joey Magidson
May 25, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I’ve heard good things for Stewart, actually.
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)
UBourgeois
May 25, 2012 at 4:26 pm
The curious thing, I think, is that a lot of the negative reviews I’ve seen seem to be very, shall we say, ethereally negative. They often compare it to the book and wax poetic about how magical or whatever the book was, and claiming the movie doesn’t make them feel the same way. This isn’t uncommon for literary adaptations, but the frequency here is much higher than I’ve seen in the past, and the tone of the comparisons seem much more personal in general. It’s curious.
UBourgeois(Quote) (Reply)
Joey Magidson
May 25, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Very much so…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)
Jessie Makowski
May 25, 2012 at 6:29 pm
I’m real interested in seeing it…
Jessie Makowski(Quote) (Reply)
Joey Magidson
May 25, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Likewise.
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)