Scenic Route

Scenic Route

Starring Josh Duhamel, Dan Fogler, Peter Goetz, Christie Burson

Directed by Kevin Goetz and Michael Goetz

Lifelong friends Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler) decide to go on a road trip to re-kindle their friendship, after Mitchell gets married, has a child and finds a lucrative job, and Carter becomes a down-and-out writer living in his car. 

Immediately problems arise, as their car breaks down in the middle of the desert, but it's not as it seems.  Carter harbors deep-seeded animosity to Mitchell for in essence abandoning their friendship for his family, and Mitchell feels Carter hasn't done anything with his life and is just jealous of his success.

As the friends bicker and argue more and more in the heat of the day and cold of night, the verbal sparring turns physical, and both friends are horribly beaten in both fashions. An adventure that was supposed to save their friendship soon turns into a fight for survival, not just against the elements, but each others' inner demons.

The story is a simple one, and if it was delivered by two lesser actors it would've made the film a bore, but with Duhamel and Fogler, whom are both more known for comedy than drama, they brought the acting caliber to bring to life this otherwise boring tale.  You sincerely care about both characters and you're kept on the edge of your seat as to how the two of them would survive, and if the secrets they reveal to each other would re-ignite their friendship or end it forever.

The ending, especially, is profound and extremely unnerving, but not unpredictable, but it makes it none the less potent.  A great character study on jealousy, life lessons and mistakes of the past that show not everything that happened before stays dead.

My Rating: A-