Huge thank you to @purplefair and yuka-san for gathering these together!
That Moriarty still remains a likable figure is down to Hedlund’s performance. It’s axiomatic that the current crop of young performers lack talent, but perhaps what they really lack is worthwhile roles. While his turns in Eragon and Tron: Legacy did him no favours, Hedlund sinks his teeth into the iconic role of Moriarty, delivering a standout performance.
It is Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, 2010) as the outrageous Dean whose excesses shock throughout, who steals the film; he is able to depict callousness and the boy next door in close succession. We love him and hate him simultaneously.
But it’s the men who are at the heart of On the Road, and Salles has cast his leads beautifully. As the Kerouac figure, Sal Paradise, Riley gives a beautifully internalised performance; sincere, focussed and equal parts shy and adventurous. But it’s Hedlund as Cassady/Moriarty who is the true star of the film. Whether literally dragging Paradise into a threesome with Marylou, or revealing the complexity of his character by talking about a suicide attempt one minute and an orgy the next, he is utterly convincing as Kerouac’s amoral, restless and remarkable hero …
…One could perhaps criticise the film for lacking context, for failing to show more of the increasingly conservative, consumer-driven America that the Beats were rebelling against; conversely, the film’s characters are so caught up in their own wild lives that the outside world scarcely impacts upon them, save in a few brief scenes. And yes, the film becomes a trifle repetitive as its main characters cross and re-cross America on their endless journeys from coast to coast in search of dames, drugs and kicks; it’s faithful to the novel to a fault. It’s also one of the most exhilarating cinematic experiences of the year thanks to the astoundingly kinetic editing by François Gédigier, and Gustavo Santaolalla’s vibrant soundtrack.
As the leads, relative newcomers Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund are excellent. Riley, with his unconventional looks but gripping honesty should have no problem establishing himself as one of his generations great character actors, but make no mistake, Garrett Hedlund after his brave and charismatic work here proves that he is about to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Some of the cast members, including Hedlund and Stewart, had been linked to the film for years before it was made. Hedlund is perfect as Moriarty. He oozes the sex appeal and charisma that drew so many people to the real man. I’ve long been a fan of Hedlund’s and if this powerful performance does not get him more film offers then Hollywood is blind.
Related posts:
- On the Road – TIFF Reviews Roundup
- Article – Garrett Hedlund in On the Road
- The Beat Museum Reviews On the Road and Loves It
- Garrett Hedlund goes On The Road
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Articles, On The Road. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
