Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Open Road Blu-ray Movie Review

Get off at the next exit.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 8, 2013

A film such as "Open Road" should come packaged with a pair of maps: one to navigate the interstate travels of the lead character, and another to help track her emotional journey as it winds through a range of experiences that aren't defined to satisfaction. Without some type of guide to ease explanation of screen events, the picture feels hopelessly lost, baffling viewers as it strives to concoct a poignant odyssey of self-discovery and maturity, only to peel off storytelling textures in the editing process. It's seem rude to label the movie a mess when it clearly launches with pure intentions to connect with viewers via road trip melodramatics, but director Marcio Garcia (an popular South American actor at the helm of his second feature) doesn't have the skill to manage such suffocating cliche, playing too fast with the particulars of the plot in an effort to tie a bow around the tale by the time the end credits arrive. "Open Rage" immediately dissolves into a blur of motivations and ill-defined histories, making soulful connection impossible.

Angie (Camilla Belle) prefers to live alone, ideally outdoors, where her claustrophobia is easily managed. Arriving from South America, Angie is traveling throughout the American southwest with only a truck and camping gear, stopping off in towns as she searches for someone once near and dear to her heart. Taking work as a diner waitress, Angie keeps money in her pocket, while painting is her true passion, finding a strange bond with a homeless man named Chuck (Andy Garcia), a fellow vagabond who's drawn to the young woman and her confident sense of adventure. Breaking down in Arizona, Angie comes across helpful small town cop David (Colin Egglesfield), who offers her a place in his mobile home while her truck undergoes expensive repairs. As the pair fall in love, Angie grows afraid of commitment, with memories of a sexual assault from her recent past haunting her as she tries to avoid the responsibilities of life, while fending off concern from her family back home in Brazil.

The details of "Open Road" seem rooted in personal experience, with screenwriter Julia Camara perhaps taking elements of her life to help inform this tale of emotional escape. It's not an ambitious piece of writing, but there's a curious perspective to Angie's voyage of self that initially promises a more appealing feature, with the mystery of her mission generating a touch of tension while she interacts with a small group of lonely souls. It's a Lifetime Movie template, but shaded with palpable ache, with the story exposing Angie's demons gradually, keeping her on edge for much of the picture.

Unfortunately, "Open Road" quickly squashes promise by treating its conflicts so carelessly, while its sense of characterization is vague at best. Garcia shows no leadership, content to slacken Angie's backstory of trauma, which includes a brutal rape committed by two burly men in a park (the theatrical trailer shows that she's able to fight her way out of it, the movie hints she didn't), a nightmarish event that drives the young women to avoid intimate interaction with others, including a nosy co-worker frustrated with Angie's inability to share herself. The torment is only dimly defined, awkwardly blended into a subplot of romance between Angie and David, who are treated to a silly courtship montage and scenes of light petting before their union is tested by trust issues. And there's Angie's secretive quest in America, which is resolved so absurdly it almost feels like a prank, testing viewers patient enough to make it to the 70-minute mark before the story loses its mind. There's not a beat in the feature that's developed in full, watching Garcia rush through the details, hoping warm desert locations and a soft soundtrack will cover some serious logic leaps.

Performance are bland, with Belle once again turning in flat work, continuing her personal quest to be the least expressive and vocally motivated actress in Hollywood. She's a blank, helping to drain her co-stars of urgency. Only Andy Garcia shines in a small role, able to dial up the emotions required to articulate Chuck's abyssal pain. And for some reason, Juliette Lewis breezes in and out of the picture as David's cousin, a sassy waitress, likely filling in as a favor to one of the many producers.

Open Road Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Open Road" does look a little overly brightened, washing out the natural vibrancy of the southwestern colors. Hues are present but slightly unremarkable, mostly memorable with costuming and set decoration, while a flatter, sun-drenched look keeps the exteriors brownish with some greenery to cut through the colorless locations. Skintones lack richness, losing some of their natural appearance. Shadow detail is adequate, with a few scenes suffering from solidified backgrounds and dense hairstyles. Contrast also loses confidence on occasion. Detail is acceptable for this HD-shot feature, with appealing facial textures and small town decoration, but this is not a visually explosive effort to begin with.

Open Road Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix gives this modest movie some sonic lift, leading with soundtrack selections that find a warm presence in the surrounds. There's no true separation, but a convincing circular feel that helps the image find its intended mood, aided by crisp instrumentation and a satisfying bass that holds low and stable. Dialogue exchanges sound full and emotional, managing the range of voices without distortion. The mix helps out Belle, who speaks so softly, it's amazing she's a professional actress, yet her dialogue isn't washed away, showing a secure place in the commotion. Scoring needs are met without intrusion, setting a soft tone of travel and reflection. Atmospherics are engaging, amplifying Angie's adventures in the wild, with bustling insect activity, while crowd sequences serve up a layer of voices.

Open Road Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (15:45, HD) shows a little more effort than the average BD featurette. Produced with an interest in exploring the picture's development, interviews with cast and crew discuss the material's origins and its race into production, allowing the talent only weeks to prepare the entire endeavor. Cast members such as Belle and Garcia sound very sincere when they praise the work, sharing their admiration for director Marcio Garcia and an appreciation for the screenplay's emotional beats. Other chats are on the stiff side, finding cinematographer Jonathan Hall stumbling through his description of the move's visual scheme, while one of the producers boldly claims the film will be remembered during awards season. There are sound issues during the opening conversation with writer Julia Camara, but those quickly subside.

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:46, HD), featuring glimpses of deleted scenes, is included.

Open Road Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The climax of "Open Road" goes for a twist, and it's not a good idea. There's so little to the movie already, the presence of a sucker-punch ending (soaked in crocodile tears) makes the film feel desperate. Without any of the subplots realized to satisfaction, while performances largely flounder, the cathartic summation of domestic peace registers crudely. Garcia is tugging at heartstrings instead of massage a more profound experience out of the screenplay, watering Angie's anguish down to a few nightmares, a bland relationship, and daddy issues. There really should be more to this effort than a steady stream of banalities.