This is not a movie, this is an experience. At 4 hours and 47 minutes, the Director’s Cut adds a lot of more depth and meaning, which the director stated is for him the only valid form of this “ultimate road movie”. This cut significantly expands scenes, motivates Claire’s romantic involvement with Sam and keeps it from seeming less frivolous and more the expression of a wounded heart, additional scenes in Japan, and in San Francisco, and numerous other expansions/additions.
Filming this masterpiece lasted eight months and was done by a relatively small core team, working in 9 countries across 4 continents, supported by large local crews in each country.
In 1999, Claire’s life is forever changed after she survives a car crash. She rescues Sam and starts traveling around the world with him. Writer Eugene follows them and writes their story, as a way of recording dreams is being invented.
The cyberpunk component is amazingly done, the technology foretelling many things we now use every day, like GPS and computer-assisted driving, VR goggles, video calling, animated street billboards, micro cars, digital addiction, and many others. However, I think we’re better off that the face recognition database Bounty Bear software is not real yet, or is it? Of course, it is.
The cast is great, William Hurt, Solveig Dommartin, Sam Neill, the story is well written and perfectly paced , but what hits best is the soundtrack. Music written before 1991, but still giving the feel that the soundtrack is made of late 90’s songs, with great performances by Neneh Cherry, Julee Cruise, Talkin Heads, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode and many many more..
I’ve been postponing to see this movie for a few months, and it was a bad decision to do so. You need to see this movie and enjoy the story it unfolds.
Six popcorns.
