The Long Dumb Road

Two guys, a young and an older one, on the road having debates about life and how to live it. On their road trip they stumble on unexpected circumstances and they deal with it in their own way. That's basically the story of The Long Dumb Road. It's easy to watch, mildly entertaining, but it isn't a bad movie. I would not say it's a movie that I'm going to remember in the future, as I probably will forget anything about it in a week. Tony Revolori (Nat) and Jason Mantzoukas (Richard) play the two major characters and it isn't bad, but it's just not mindblowing. Maybe it's just the script as I really liked Tony Revolori's performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Nonetheless The Long Dumb Road is just fine to watch once.

When filmmakers title their project The Long Dumb Road, it's a nod to potential viewers - a tongue-in- cheek way of saying: "Yes, it's another road movie, but we think we've got a fresh take that will amuse you."

In this case, the secret weapon is Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place, Dirty Grandpa), the current go-to actor for nutty but endearing characters. The Long Dumb Road is a showcase for Mantzoukas, who moves into a lead role after stealing scenes as a supporting actor in earlier films and television shows.

Mantzoukas' straight man is 21-year-old Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel). He plays Nat, who is leaving the family nest and driving from Texas to Los Angeles to begin art school.

Engine trouble brings Nat together with Mantzoukas' Richard, an itinerant mechanic in his 30s who has simply bounced around since he was Nat's age. After Richard gets Nat's minivan running again, the kid agrees to him a lift to a nearby town.

Circumstances conspire to extend their trip together to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and then north to Albuquerque. Along the way, Richard's antics yank Nat out of his comfort zone, effectively demonstrating the things he can and can't control and forcing him to overcome unexpected challenges.

The two men are bookends for young adulthood. Nat has a plan he thinks he can follow. Like many of us of a certain age, Richard looks into the mirror and wonders: What the hell happened?

A number familiar faces pop up during the trip: Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) as Richard's old flame from high school, Grace Gummer (Mr. Robot) and Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story, The Bling Ring) as sisters the guys pick up in a bar, Pamela Reed (Parks and Recreation) as a good Samaritan and Ron Livingston (Office Space) as Richards's frenemy Francois.

Without giving away the ending, suffice it to say that it's not the type of conclusion one usually sees in this sort of movie. Credit writer/director Hannah Fidell and cowriter Carson Mell (Silicon Valley) for finding that fresh take on a tired genre.

By all rights, I should hate The Long Dumb Road. It has many elements in common with other movies that I have disliked. This type of road trip comedy with an annoying passenger is nothing new. However, this movie won me over because of 2 simple things. First and foremost, it starred Jason Mantzoukas, and I have a big soft spot for him. After years of listening to the How Did This Get Made podcast, I am in tune with his style of comedy, so every time he's telling a joke I laugh. Tony Revolori plays a relatable character that goes on this road trip with Mantzoukas, and I appreciated his performance as well, but it was the older Greek dude with all the hair that made this movie so enjoyable for me. I even forgave the excess of profanity and over-the-top sexual references because they came from someone I find naturally funny.

However, the more important thing that worked for me in The Long Dumb Road is the slow build to the wacky road trip adventures. Typically with a movie like this, the annoying person who comes along for a ride is overtly obnoxious from the first minute they climb into the car. It becomes so ridiculous that you feel like the sane person would be justified in abandoning the psycho or even calling the police after about 15 minutes. But here Mantzoukas's character is somewhat normal, and extremely friendly. They take time to build a bond between these two guys before taking everything too far. I could see how they became friends, and Revolori's reluctance to leave this nuisance behind feels justified. There are still plenty of elements in The Long Dumb Road that I didn't love, but it's a movie that did enough to entertain me and even make me think about watching it again someday.

Wow. I've seen a few like this. "Comedies" that I really liked but haven't a funny joke that landed in the entire film.

The only thing that drew me to this movie was my latest obsession to horror movies, so I wanted to change it up and watch a "comedy" for once. Helped when I saw the poster. I love Jason Mantzoukas and Tony Revolori, the "driver," is so cute. So, I thought, here'll be a funny road-trip film.

Nope. This movie is as funny as 2020's virus. BUT, that said, it's still a charming drama with two leads with enormous chemistry. That and how well the movie was shot and progressed was worth the trip.

The move's a simple one: Nat needs to drive from Texas to LA to attend art school. While his future is supposedly planned out for him from his parents, apparently, they didn't plan for the vehicle they gave him to break down in the middle of Nowhere, TX. Lucky, or unluckily, for him, Random-Stranger Richard's there to save the day, fix the vehicle and they start a journey together of "self-discovery" across the Southwest. I guess.

The Long Dumb Road admittedly had me smirking and smiling a lot and I loved the ending, tremendously. I just wish it was funny. It's not like a lot of the "comedy" flew over my head; I seriously didn't hear hardly any jokes. Just two bros who share a ride to their respective destinies. And along the way they have a few misadventures with sad results. You MIGHT feel sorry for them, but we know who's to blame.

I would recommend it, but it's not groundbreaking and for the 20th time: it's not a comedy. So, don't expect one. But, DO expect a nice adventure with two leads who definitely share a real bond. And that was nice to see.

***

Final thoughts: Funny, this movie, while not providing a future, did have an impact on me and I loved watching it, despite its shortcomings. Nice to see they give these two established and good actors leads. We need to see more of them.

For some reason left me with the same feeling as Hard Eight. Highly recommend. The two main actors are brilliant in it. Inevitable to become a cult hit.