Desperation Road

This doesn't have too many votes yet, but it's a 5.7/10 on here so far. That's just crazy to me! Perhaps many of the people who've rated this film so far, have entirely forgotten, or perhaps never even realized, that they indeed are miracles.

This is a more thoughtful film than most, which in some regard revolves around fate and the human circumstance.

"It's like you wakeup one day, and you're just here. Like a stone, thrown into this world, but you don't know who threw it, or which direction it came from." - Maben

I would say it mostly revolves around two characters who have been through a lot of pain and struggle, and who are somewhat desperately trying to right their own paths.

"Maybe there will be a miracle, some way to begin again." - Maben

Not so sure why they're marketing this as an action genre film. Not a smart choice in my view. It's really not an action film overall. It's mostly a drama/thriller, and there are a few scenes with some action. In my view, marketing this as an action film will quite easily persuade some people to expect much more action than they should from it. And by doing this, the marketing team only sets some of these viewers up for at least some level of disappointment, because the expectation they set is not met. Some advice for the people behind this film, get a new marketing team for your next project. I'm certain there'd be less disappointed reactions if everyone just went into this film thinking that it was a drama/thriller, as it mostly is.

*** Partial Spoiler Below ***

This could be considered a film noir, however the end can't really be seen as dark in my view.

Garrett Hedlund (Russell) "I don't recall anything about no huntin' rifle in the New Testament."

Mel Gibson (Mitchell) "Well, you can only turn so many cheeks, and I only got four, so..."

7.5/10.

Garrett Hedlund- Russell - After being released from prison, Russel reconnects with his family and friend. He struggles making peace with his past and the loss of his mother while incarcerated. Garrett plays this character with a somber and brooding attitude, in a a low timbre. I think Garrett does a great job making Russel feel real relatable.

Willa Fitzgerald - Maben- Maben struggles to make a life for herself and her daughter Analee. Willa Fitzgerald is the stand out star of this film for me. From the moment she appears on screen, I was glued to her performance. Willa brought such realism to Maben. I could feel her pain, joy, and resilience. Definitely a diamond in the rough.

Mel Gibson- Mitchell- Russels father. Mel Gibson is very much a supporting character in this movie, despite being on the cover of the DVD. Mitchel is there to support his son, and help where he can. He feels like a plot device to help move things forward. Honestly, Mel could have been replaced by any older actor and the effect would have been the same.

Thought this was going to be more action-oriented, but its more of a noir character piece. The visuals were really well done, shots framed nicely. Shot in 16 days! Which is crazy.

Main characters don't meet until 52 mins in (out of 1hr52 min runtime), which is waaaay too late. It felt like two separate films at times. It took even longer to get background info on them.

Theres a lot of extra content in the movie that seems very out of place. Theres a scene of Russels past partner, who was not mentioned before and we don't see again.

Then we have the character of Larry, the main antagonist. Usually this kind of role is one-dimensional, a way to create conflict. But instead, a large chunk of this film is the Larry Show. We see his marital problems, drinking problems, fathering problems, etc. He even gets a big finale. I like that they were trying to make him more rounded, but it was all too much. Felt like we learned more about him than the two leads!

This all hurt the pacing of the film and left it feeling overly long. Without these, the viewer could focus more on the intertwining stories of Maben and Russel. It could have been more enjoyable to piece together their mysteries.

It feels like we are piecing together the mystery, a very Noir plot. Every action felt significant. There was a decent amount of tension. And the conclusion felt satisfying. You just have to fight through all the extra stuff to get there.

Desperation Road is a heavy tale of the human struggle and redemption. Russel and Maben feel as if they are connected by an invisible thread. I enjoyed seeing how the film laid out their journeys, with the exception of the odd side character tales. I give Desperation Road, a staunch 6.5/10.

-GremlinLord615 - Video version on YT.

The good: real fine quality actors who do carry this story about a young poor couple (she a prostitue, he an ex-prisoner) struggling to make their marriage work, with a young daughter caught in between all the upheaval that a life with a mother as a prostitute brings with it.

Kinda bleak and somewhat sad and depressing as well, but simultaneously a real gritty life portrait of two young lovers struggling to get by.

Any bad? Beware that Mel Gibson only has got a small supporting role as a father for a few minutes. So this is definitely NOT a Mel Gibson movie. The other actors are fine though, so no problem with that, but...

However good the actors are, this drama fails to become truly gripping. It's more of a bleak and slowburning portrait than a gripping drama. I was missing some spark and punch...

But that's about my only gripe I can think of, besides the soundtrack being a bit too obtrusive and present all the time as if we as viewers dont know WHEN a scene is dramatic without this bombastic soundscore droning on constantly in the background.

Not great, but certainly not bad at all either. A gritty and bleak portrait of a young couple struggling with life, probably best suited for the more patient art house movie fans.

Based on Michael Farris Smith's celebrated novel, Some audience critics like me call it a "slow burn". That it is, however I think the story was directed as well as it could have been. It was not a disappointing movie though. The story and the acting kept my attention and it was splendid all the way through.

Garret Hedlund, reminds me of a young Sam Elliot and and Willa Fitzgerald are both seasoned actors and did a darn good job staying true to the characters as written. Mel Gibson was in a supporting role in this movie and didn't steal the limelight. He is such a good actor and consummate professional.

. It's not an action movie. It's a story of broken people trying to find their way in life. People that don't have a lot of material means. I highly recommend a viewing.

Clint Eastwood for me is the master of drama. But I have this feeling that Mel Gibson will soon be taking the baton from him. He has been delivering some really amazing pictures. This was so beautiful. The story was adorable. The acting was great. The cinematography was ok. I honestly don't have anything to complain about.

It sure baffles me that this movie has such a low rating. I don't know what else anyone would want to see in this, that would lead them to give it anything less than 6.

Alot of times I had to stop myself from shredding tears. That should tell you how invested I was with this one.

If you love drama, twisted love story, fate, then this movie is for you.