Road, Movie Review, Movie Review of Road, Movie

For a man with a strong theatrical background and much critically acclaimed award-grabbing movies like ' Split Wide Open' and ' English August' in his bag, director Dev Benegal lives up to the expectations of the critiques and the audiences; and even manages to deliver a winner yet again in the form of his much-awaited film ' Road, Movie' .

The movie stars Abhay Deol as the main lead; while Satish Kaushik and Faizal Usmani appear in strong supporting roles. Besides being a major display of Dev' s finesse as a moviemaker, the film is also about Deol' s running evolution as an actor. We see him grow into another wonderful character, playing a plethora of emotions, and making the space completely his own. Tanishtha, who plays a gypsy woman and joins the scene towards the end, also appears to be comfortable in her role.

The young lad Usmani (playing a tea-serving boy) will surely get you rolling in laughter with his raw style and solid acting. And, most importantly, the movie marks the return of Satish Kaushik as an actor. He really steals the show with his brilliant performance of the genius mechanic. The movie' s strongest point, really, is the masterful acting. The film has already gotten the critiques in a roll of applause.

Abhay Deol' s dad does business in hair oil; but the idea of selling hair oil does not appeal much to Vishnu (Deol). So instead, seeking a way out, he embarks on a journey in an old antique Chevy truck (which turns out to have been a touring cinemascope). The movie is about his journey on the road, across the desert, and to the sea where it will be sold to an old museum. On the way, three more characters join him: A young boy who asks him for a lift, a rusty mechanic, and a gypsy woman who leads them in a search of water.

It is a film purely made for all kinds of audiences while being a landmark of alternative cinema too. The acting is real and raw and truly appealing. Splendid cinematography and the bright use of colors make the sequences positively relevant and really engrossing. The movie deserves special applause for the brilliant execution: artistically appealing raw sequences shot in parched dry conditions, precise makeup and styling, awesome editing and the very use of a wobbly truck as the actual spear-point of the story, which runs you along and keeps you waiting the next turn on the road.

And what lies beyond the next turn of the road are the water mafia and oppressive corrupt cops. Dev' s masterful tools of storytelling ensure that the film never goes weak throughout; and though the ' search for water' concept is not clear in the beginning, it really makes sense when all threads are tied together in the end. The movie begins at a light note, but then keeps you guessing as to what is it all really about? It is, without doubt, a major release this year. One wonders if it will grab an award or two.

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