Highway (2002)

What a curious film this is! I'd love to know the back story, who thought up the idea over what breakfast table, and especially how these two young men with incredible potential were lured into what is basically a weak-scripted road movie. Both Leto and Gyllenhaal do their best with limited material, especially the latter who must have had fun acting (or being) stoned throughout most of the film.The potential for a really fascinating relationship to develop between the two was lost with a tossed-in freak show (Alligator Boy in Oregon?) and topical nonsense about Kurt Cobain, and the villains of the piece who are totally predictable. Selma Blair fits in quite nicely to provide a foil for the sparring of the leads, and the almost 100 minutes sprints along quite nicely. Probably not a film to return to, but an interesting warm-up for Gyllenhaal's Brokeback Mountain and Leto's work with Oliver Stone. I wonder how they got talked into this one! It certainly couldn't been megabucks from the budget!

So here we are, 1994. A particularly grim time in the eyes of most Americans. This film and its emphasis on the 'Grunge Scene' seem at first, heavily asserted; at its core however, Highway is a much more personal buddy film which formidably tackles much more 'people' issues rather than issues concerning society. One cannot ignore the talent displayed in acting so dramatically suited to this film and its setting. Blair does her role justice, her 'shrouded past' is aptly suited to her almost faceless, masked characteristics. McGinley likewise takes on his wacky, very eccentric role well. It is the chemistry between Jared Leto and Jake Gyllenhaal however that gives this film a serious purpose. You know when you were 16 and your best friend hooked up with that girl you'd been talking to for months on end after he'd talked to her very briefly? That friend is Jared Leto, who's 'God of ****' is exactly what it says on the tin (the lucky bastard). Gyllenhaal then is Letos Watson to his Holmes or perhaps his Robin to his Batman. Gay undertones aside, Gyllenhalls spacey 'Pilot' bounces off of Letos Jack wonderfully, creating genuinely likable and different characters.As for the film as a work, directing is up to scratch, Cox has done a fine job in capturing the 90s grunge movement (if such bland circumstances are in fact possible to capture)and really shines where humour in the film is presented with a basic 'if it's funny, the camera will be all over the bloody shot' theory. Flashbacks are seamlessly weaved in to the plot in order to create depth to Jack and Pilot whilst the sheer scale of the boys' adventure is never really enforced, possibly appropriately.Highway succeeds in presenting us with a touching if slightly unoriginal best friend/jealousy tale, the acting shines through in this as we are constantly reminded (often through Gyllenhaal's pondering) that these characters have absolutely no idea what they are doing. It fails however in really asserting the whole grunge theme it is supposed to portray, visually it does this, but in content Cobain's death is a minor occurrence as is the rest of the world outside of a friendship. Deliberate or not, this message is presented in an upbeat and beautifully acted out way.7/10

This movie blew me away. I wasn't expecting much when I turned on the DVD player. When I turned it off, I called my best friend right away and told her for now on, my name is Pilot. This movie just had everything. Funny, romantic, adventurous, violence, wow. I can't give any analysis here because I just want to tell people straight out, this movie is AMAZING. This will forever be my second favorite movie of all time. And such an amazing cast to top it all off. What more can I say besides it's a shame that this marvelous film is so unknown. Spread the Highway Gospel.BEST. MOVIE. EVER. In caps.

this movies is kicks butt it really kicks butt you have to watch it man i mean really you have to watch it it is really cool...... WATCH IT!!!! i demand thee!!! Just joking but watch it now i tell you it rocked my sock off watch it it will knock your socks off yeah it rocks i just rocks OK Jake look pretty good looking. this is for Jake G fans and yeah 1234567891011121314151617181920 i really like it it even mentions Kurt Cobain and what is a movie without a mentioning of Kurt Cobain i mean come it is plucking awesome and shirt like that i mean it is great..i like food...i am a movie buff i am just typing random stuff just so the comment can go on and yea so i love movies and music hey check out my band the unknown reject that's me lol yup i am pretty good at playing music and stuff so yeah and yeah i love making movies i plan on making movies and stuff i like making songs and reading. Reading is good it is awesome right now i am reading the catcher in the rye for the second time i love that book it kills me every time i read a paragraph there is something funny it has a lot of jokes and stuff well READ people read it is good for you and your eyes and stuff REaD your heart out then write stuff too.Read people read a lot i do i write a lot....Don't do DRUGS!!! don't smoke and don't drink and drive.