Road to Nowhere

Monte Hellman's Road to Nowhere, from 2010, is an intriguing neo-noir that is ultimately undermined by the baroque machinations of its plot. Steven Gaydos' script details a real life crime, or two, and a movie production being made about the crime. The film's narrative shifts back and forth through time. At first, this is purposefully baffling, as we are never quite sure what we are seeing is the film within the film or "actual" events. The Chinese box structure feels arid and onanistic. Hellman is only intermittently able to breathe life into it. He has always been hit or miss with actors: wonderful performances from Warren Oates and Jack Nicholson in Hellman's oeuvre can be contrasted with inert ones from Millie Perkins, Dennis Wilson and James Taylor. Dominique Swain, Cliff De Young and Shannyn Sossamon give interesting performances here while Waylon Payne and Tygh Runyan flail. Mr. Runyan's performance as the director of the film within the film is particularly damaging because the vacuousness of his performance leaves the film without a center.

This is disappointing because Mr. Hellman's eye has not deserted him. His imagery here is provocative and gorgeous. Because of this, Road to Nowhere does function as an interesting meta commentary on films and filming. All the frustrations and triumphs of a life on the fringes of Hollywood are passionately expressed by Hellman's mise en scene, but, because the script is bloodless and insular, the film never springs to life.