I loved "Blue Bus" because it involves a black guy and a white guy traveling together for days and days, and it never matters at all that one guy is a black guy and one guy is a white guy. These friends are color-blind; consequently, the film is as well. Not since TV's "I Spy" has there been an interracial duo on the American screen with such a true balance of power. The combination of sensitive direction, compelling dialog, skillful acting and ingenious camera work makes this film insightful and delightful from start to finish. Despite the seemingly casual "on the road" feeling to it, the film has a constant sense of design and purpose - an effortless sense of suspense that engages the viewer throughout. I look forward to seeing it again as soon as possible.
10 Reviews
I would highly recommend this film! What a find!
liasargent-122 July 2009
What a delightful, warm-hearted, well acted, well directed, well edited, charming film. What a joy. A must see. Engaging and humorous, thoughtful and moving. I went to the theater expecting a nice film and walked away with the feeling that I saw some thing far greater then just nice.
This is not a fast paced, smash 'em up film, but rather a thoughtful, comfortable pace that gives you time to enjoy the nuances of the scenery of the trip across the country.
I was invited to visit a slice of someone's life - a unique friendship and a trip that one usually reserves for themselves, and yet we got to be a part of it. We get to cherish it as well. Thank you.
This is not a fast paced, smash 'em up film, but rather a thoughtful, comfortable pace that gives you time to enjoy the nuances of the scenery of the trip across the country.
I was invited to visit a slice of someone's life - a unique friendship and a trip that one usually reserves for themselves, and yet we got to be a part of it. We get to cherish it as well. Thank you.
Poor man's bucket list
jongon-123 July 2009
We were young, we were free , we traveled in VW Buses . Then 45 years happened.
Some of us departed but there were those who didn't give up their youth despite aging .
Augie is one of these individuals . After his friend passes he makes up his mind to do the trek his deceased friend and he had talked about decades before.
He talks his friend Joe to accompany him back to where he was from, New Orleans.
Their vehicle, a 60's vintage blue VW Bus . Together they share the journey,themselves and a box of cookies and drive to New Orleans.
Shot on location throughout the southwest desert and Louisiana this is an enjoyable movie especially for people in the mood for a movie where nothing explodes.
Those from that generation ( The 60's) will especially appreciate the movie.
Some of us departed but there were those who didn't give up their youth despite aging .
Augie is one of these individuals . After his friend passes he makes up his mind to do the trek his deceased friend and he had talked about decades before.
He talks his friend Joe to accompany him back to where he was from, New Orleans.
Their vehicle, a 60's vintage blue VW Bus . Together they share the journey,themselves and a box of cookies and drive to New Orleans.
Shot on location throughout the southwest desert and Louisiana this is an enjoyable movie especially for people in the mood for a movie where nothing explodes.
Those from that generation ( The 60's) will especially appreciate the movie.
A film for an older crowd.
theparent9 February 2020
68-yr old August finds his friend's old blue VW in his driveway with a note of a dying wish - for August to roadtrip to New Orleans. So off he went. Everybody must have some sort of a blue bus trip. Joey laughed a LOT.
Superb and timeless film.
JohnStuartWest24 July 2009
I recently attended a screening of "The Blue Bus" in Los Angeles, and it's one of the best films I've seen in years -- studio or independent. The story is meaningful and affecting, the performances are spot on, and it's well crafted technically. It's one of the few films I've seen in recent years that I want to see again, soon, and look forward to watching from time to time for years to come. It has a timeless quality -- due to the story and performances -- that give it the extra-special "something" that real film lovers love. In the current climate of cartoon mega-movies and ultra-shoot-'em-ups, "The Blue Bus" is exactly the kind of film that we need more of: a deep and authentic story, crafted with great love and talent. It's the kind of film that sticks to your ribs, not the kind that rots your teeth. In other words, it's a grown-up film, as opposed to the childish and adolescent flotsam and jetsam that clog the multiplexes. Do yourself a huge favor and see this movie when you can. You'll be very glad you did.
Feel good, laugh out loud road-trip w/ a twist
jmeefitz24 July 2009
Blue Bus is a feel good, laugh out loud road-trip film with a twist. Two way down to earth characters with great chemistry drive from Los Angeles to New Orleans in a Blue VW Bus to fulfill the wish of a deceased friend. Augie and Joe suck the audience into the backseat of the Blue Bus with them as they exchange personal life stories that are sure to drum up a personal memory or two or your own while making you laugh out loud at the same time. The Blue Bus literally shone brightly against the backdrop of southern US states in beautiful scenery. Watch Blue Bus to find out what awaits the two friends in New Orleans and to find out what they learn about themselves along the way.
Recommendation: Take the Blue Bus
Recommendation: Take the Blue Bus
Roadtrip anyone!!!
susan-fuqua29 July 2009
I loved the Blue Bus -- both the movie and the actual blue VW bus. This is a lovely story of two friends on a cross-country adventure that will surely change their lives. There is something for everybody in this movie -- the scenery is magnificent, the music will get you moving in your seat, the banter keeps you wanting more . . . and then there is the Blue Bus . .. I am not sure who I was rooting for more; the guys or the bus. I found myself laughing out loud, singing out loud, and just thoroughly enjoying myself.
You won't want their journey to end and you will leave the theater feeling better than when you entered it -- I promise!
You won't want their journey to end and you will leave the theater feeling better than when you entered it -- I promise!
Two men who find out about each other and themselves.
Ellenrita-122 July 2009
I really enjoyed this "feel good" movie. The storyline was intriguing without contrivance and the cinematography was stunning! There were scenes where I laughed out loud balanced with scenes where I got choked up. Any film that can take me on a ride of emotion gets my vote. The two male leads were always believable and real. The soundtrack complemented the visuals and one really got a feel for the soul of New Orleans. The producer, Pattie Kelly, informed the audience that this was loosely scripted which gave it its organic emotional credibility. I haven't been to New Orleans in ten years and this film revealed that even with the devastation of Katrina, the energy of the city is alive and well.
poetry on film
aronlaub22 July 2009
The themes in Blue Bus - loyalty, friendship, life discovery, loss and self discovery - are given a natural and uplifting treatment, making this film a breath of pure oxygen in an age of cinematic smog. The literary form most consonant with the structure of Blue Bus is poetry; but unlike so much of what claims to be poetry, Blue Bus is neither obscure in its meaning nor a beggar pleading for a response. We are given the human dignity in being flawed, and the joy in living a complex life, all in a sketch. From its camera placement to its unscripted dialog, the film engages the road upon which its two main characters travel. There is a map that is followed, but as in the lives we all actually live, it is what the travelers bring of themselves to their journey that makes it possible for them to arrive. Get off the treadmill and ride the Blue Bus.
Blue Bus will stay with you for days after you see it
kmcgregor-123 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Blue Bus is one of the most delightful and engaging films I have seen in a very long time. It is a uniquely intelligent, funny and touching tale that kept my attention wrapped from beginning to end. Like two other favorite independent films of mine, "Once" and "Frozen River" I found this film to be in a league of it's own, high above the standards of most Hollywood formulaic pictures. It is, in a word, refreshing. My hat is off to the filmmakers for creating a film that has it's own distinctive voice and has something substantive to say about the importance of one of our best assets in life, our friends.
Augie and Joe are two middle aged guys who are both lost in their own way. Adding to that they are both stuck in being stubbornly and unabashedly the way they are. As they travel together on a road trip from LA to New Orleans, they unwittingly transform the other. This is not always pleasant for either of them, but is wonderful to witness as an audience member. You get the feeling you are spying on two very earnest and opposite guys who are fumbling to find their way out of their own personal limitations. Through some hilarious and heartfelt twists and turns, they both rub off on the other and forge an endearing bond that will make you appreciate the importance of rumbling through the ups and downs of life with your own friends and how that rumbling shapes us all for the better.
The scenery itself is worth the price of admission, but even more than that, the music will make you bop in your seat. In the end however, it is the unspoken love and transformation the two characters take because of each other that will grab your heart.
This is the kind of film that will stay with you for days after you see it.
Augie and Joe are two middle aged guys who are both lost in their own way. Adding to that they are both stuck in being stubbornly and unabashedly the way they are. As they travel together on a road trip from LA to New Orleans, they unwittingly transform the other. This is not always pleasant for either of them, but is wonderful to witness as an audience member. You get the feeling you are spying on two very earnest and opposite guys who are fumbling to find their way out of their own personal limitations. Through some hilarious and heartfelt twists and turns, they both rub off on the other and forge an endearing bond that will make you appreciate the importance of rumbling through the ups and downs of life with your own friends and how that rumbling shapes us all for the better.
The scenery itself is worth the price of admission, but even more than that, the music will make you bop in your seat. In the end however, it is the unspoken love and transformation the two characters take because of each other that will grab your heart.
This is the kind of film that will stay with you for days after you see it.
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