The Age of Commercialism

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Hit the Road: India (2013) *** (out of 4) Good documentary about two friends who decide to tackle the 12-day Mumbai Xpress, which is a rally from Mumbai to Chennai and is according to many one of the greatest adventures in the world. HIT THE ROAD: India comes from co-directors Gor Baghdasaryan and Mushegh Baghdasaryan and I'll admit that the subject matter really didn't spike my interest very much. I really wasn't sure what to expect but by the time the 80-minute film was over I found myself entertained. I'm not going to call this a masterpiece or anything like that but if you're familiar with the old James A. FitzPatrick 'TravelTalks" shorts then I think you're going to enjoy this film. Those shorts just had FitzPatrick going to countless places and showing off the locations and the locals. The main attraction to this film is getting to see a city by city tour of India and this here is reason enough to watch the film. I thought the camera-work was quite good for a film like this and there's no question that the directors know where and how to shoot a scene. I'm not going to pretend to sit here and say what the directors were trying to do with this film. However, if it was to show off this event and the beauty of India then they're certainly succeeded. There are many memorable moments scattered throughout the film but I think one of the best things is that it actually makes you want to pack your bags and head to India to live some of this stuff for yourself. This was actually the first time I had ever heard of this race but it was interesting seeing the contestants make their way from various cities and the hardships that happened along the way. I think the one flaw with the picture is that I really didn't connect with the main people very much and I think a little more information about them would have made this journey better.

Following around the North American team of Richard Gazarian and Keith King, the documentary, Hit The Road: India follows these racers through the "The Mumbai Xpress", a twelve day journey and race from the cities of Mumbai to Chennai, India all on only rickshaws.If we look at the world now, we are no doubt in a time where reality television is at it's peak and here to stay. The reality television show The Amazing Race is really similar to this and in a positive way, Hit the Road: India could be described as a reality show. The lead actors could be described as easy going and wanting an adventure and each bringing their own personality to the table, and the most important thing for me is that they are very likable. Like The Amazing Race, the Mumbai Xpress comes with it's problems which include weather, rickshaw breakdowns and just the overall emotional and physical effects that come with this long journey. This adds drama to the story and substance to the film.Another important thing we learn through this journey is the history of India. From the climate and scenery that seems to change quite a bit, driving conditions that seem well beyond normal, and even just how beef is not served at McDonald's due to Indian religious beliefs, we learn more about India than we knew before. Living in America, most of the things depicted here would not be considered normal to me and that leads to a surreal feeling at times while watching this movie.Again just like The Amazing Race, Hit The Road: India really does make you consider the world differently than you did before. Here, we are in a world where there are so many new things out there with really so little time to see and appreciate it all. This is a documentary that makes you consider traveling the world regardless of the distance from you and that is an accomplishment. If a film like this is able to grab you in a way and make you think, then no doubt it is a powerful film.I do question why the film chose not to shoot other contestants in the race and you really can't say this is the most original idea but I still liked this documentary. It is entertaining, direct and to the point and it is a good hidden film from 2013. Hit the road and find it.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to see this film by the film studio handing distribution, Manana Films and what hooked me was the trailer. Seeing the stunning landscape of India, as well as believing that the history behind some of the places would be given hooked me in. And with that said, let's talk about this movie.Characters & StoryThe film focuses on Team US/ Canada composed of Rick, a Chicago realtor, and Keith, a Canadian Chef. These two men are the kind of people who have a thirst for adventure and found India to be the destination to satisfy this thirst. However, their adventure isn't some simple visit to one tourism trap in which they experience Indian cuisine and culture. No, instead they decide to participate in a multinational 2000 kilometer race throughout India on something called a rickshaw, which basically is a 7 horsepower, dressed up, motorbike. But, despite breaking down multiple times, Rick and Keith's rickshaw takes us through India and gives us a taste of their various cities. Each one filled with culture, traditions, and mostly friendly faces. Thus giving any viewer an almost Google Maps quality adventure.PraiseThe biggest bit of praise I can bestow onto the film is that you feel like you see so much of the country, despite them hitting less than a dozen cities or towns. This is because everything is in this tiny rickshaw and the camera seems focused on capturing more than just Rick and Keith, but almost make it so that you can be immersed in the surroundings as best as your viewing screen allows. CriticismHowever, one unfortunate thing I must say about this film is that, due to the race, you hardly learn anything about the various cultures within India. In fact, a lot of the times you aren't fully sure where Keith and Rick are, and aren't given a proper means to identify a place. You just get a large white title over the video telling you what town or city they are near and, due to time constraints, we watch as they, usually, just drive by everything. This includes a ceremony which looked rather interesting, but we are given nothing but visuals for. Then, on top of the fact we get visuals but no depth, unfortunately there are 0 subtitles put into the post-production so we can know what is being said to Keith & Rick, which I assume was done since neither are fluent in Hindi. Lastly, though perhaps this is a little nit-picky, both men do seem a little culturally insensitive sometimes and this does make you feel like they more see India as a place of adventure, as if it is some type of wilderness jungle, than a country with a rich cultural history.Overall: Worth a RentalFor me, the big issue of the movie comes from its lack of depth when it comes to Indian culture. Outside of that, it does present enough to intrigue you and make you want to do your own research and maybe visit the country. Hence why I say this is worth a rental. It may be an adventure documentary, but the narrative for the adventure isn't on the level in which the story really captures you, and the documentary aspect is only strong in terms of the camera capturing images, and not necessarily cultures or lives.

It is rare for documentaries to find a broad audience, recent notable exceptions being Touching the Void, Man on Wire and Capturing the Friedmans. With each of those documentaries, our imagination was captured, something wild or beyond our experience was presented to us to watch through our fingers, jaws resting on the floor. Hit the Road: India doesn't have that effect, and isn't going hit those heights, but it's still an enjoyable manner to while away 80 minutes.More recently, 2012's Tabloid, had all the ingredients (jaw-dropping madness one couldn't make up, occurrences beyond our lives, villains…) but still failed to find an audience. Where Hit the Road: India may hopefully succeed is with those who realise the experience is achievable or already have some experience with the titular character, India.Directed by brothers Gor and Mushegh Baghdasarvan, Hit the Road: India is a light documentary accounting the experiences and failings of Richard Gazarian and Keith King, two friends who undertake the Rickshaw Challenge, a madcap road race across India in tuk-tuks. Think The Cannonball Run in colourful milk floats.At times it is beautifully shot, capturing the vibrant colours of one of the most beautiful countries I've experienced. Memories came hurtling back of entire families on a single motorbike, of brightly painted trucks, fields of luscious green, the madness and noise of the Mumbai, the quiet dignity and open friendliness of locals who proclaim travellers to be their 'friend' and jostle to grin into the camera lens. For those who haven't tasted India, Hit the Road: India is a hint of what awaits you. For those who have, it is a journey of nostalgia.There are moments of amusement when we see that Messrs Gazarian and King are ill-prepared and ill-equipped for the task ahead. They have no maps, they have few plans, the mishaps pile up and one is left thinking they are either inept or celestially doomed. There is a brief hint of frostiness between them with a solitary quip from one, but nothing more to enhance the relationship or endear them to us.And this is the weakness of Hit the Road: India; it lacks depth and context. Why do Gazarian and King embark on this journey? What led them to this? Who the heck are they? For that matter, what is the Rickshaw Challenge? The background is mentioned in passing but I wanted to know more. And what of the other competitors? They are alluded to, and once or twice we glimpse a few, but they are little more than human scenery when they should be strong supporting characters to add colour to our heroic duo. The sense of competition is lost if there are no competitors or clashes. It needed a crew, or at least a static camera, in every tuk-tuk.Odd comments are made ("What are the chances of three tuk-tuks breaking down at once?"), but the impact falls flat without context and visual reference. Too often we see the result (e.g. the tuk-tuk in the ditch) but not the cause, the backstory. What are the rules of the race? What foolish decisions lead the competitors to run out of fuel so frequently? It's all well and good saying they got lost, but why are we not permitted to enjoy watching them driving franticly in the wrong direction? Hit the Road: India needed an angle, a purpose, an exciting MacGuffin. What we have is an enjoyable home movie when we could have witnessed an hysterical comedy of errors set against the natural beauty of India with a subtle historical and geographical lesson thrown in as spice.It's not that I didn't enjoy Hit the Road: India. Far from it! I just wanted more. Much more! The audio on the film brings mixed blessings. Often the sound mix is poor with dialogue muffled and drowned by ambient noise, traffic and chatter, an issue that could have been resolved with lapel mics on Gazarian and King – and a bigger budget! The music, however is another matter entirely. I can imagine some will struggle with the choice of soundtrack with traditional, Indian music eschewed in favour of dramatic, atmospheric modern, western music, but for me it was an achievement and sets Hit the Road: India apart from other documentaries. The soundtrack worked for me in the same way Jake Scott's juxtaposition of modern and period music and settings did in Plunkett & Macleane.With more planning, a larger crew and a bigger budget, Hit the Road: India could have been more than an enjoyable glimpse of India to pass the time; it could have been a rip roaring ride, a very funny and hugely entertaining romp that made me dive for my passport the moment the credits faded to black. If the brothers Baghdasarvan ever decide to have a second run at this with a broader vision, count me in! For more reviews from The Squiss, subscribe to my blog and like the Facebook page.