Free Byrd

A trip is naturally predictable. Somebody is going somewhere. Nonetheless, unpredicted things might happen in the way. It's pretty much like life. We are born and we are going to die, a certainty, but what will happen in our journey is a mystery.

That's why Free Byrd has a cohesive plot. It's a road movie with life's uncertainties as the main theme. It invites audience to reflect about death, dreams, relashionships and other universal themes through the characters' travel.

Jay Butler (Randy Nazarian), an elderly house van driver, must take Harry Byrd (Raymond J. Barry), an obstinate elder to another institution. Harry is not happy with moving and doesn't let things easy for Jay. Byrd's stubbornnesss causes changes in their plans and lives... It's a simple plot and the screenplay is not pretentious either. Less is more sometimes and I liked the writing. The adventure is nice and the obstacles make sense. Jay, Harry, Aunt Evelyn and Charles Byrd are great characters.

In the other hand, I felt a lack of character development regarding the kittenettes (with the exception of Red), Jay's kids and Harry's daughters.

Some 5 or 10 screen minutes add to the runtime could improve this aspect and help with the pacing. The beginning and the end seemed quite hurried.

About the acting, I was delighted by Randy Nazarian performance, his Jay is very charismatic and believable. Raymond J. Barry did a great job in portraying Byrd's transformation throughout the journey. Besides, their interactions were adorable. Bettina Devin steals the attention in her scenes as Aunt Evelyn, she is terrific. Also, Bob Turton made Chucky a well done villain.

The locations were well thought out. They give the trip feeling that makes road movies special. Ryan Castaneda did a good job with the cinematography.

Dan Radlauer made the landscapes more moving with his beautiful scores. He also helped a lot with the scenes atmosphere: comic, dramatic and adventurous.

Free Byrd is enjoyable, like its name, but should be classified as a dramatic comedy to give viewers a more accurate expectation on it.

Can someone tell the filmmakers responsible for this project to get a basic knowledge of the existence of things like Tripods, lights and more importantly how to focus the damn camera? The cinematography in this film is non-existent, it's like someone follows the actors around with what must be less capable than an iPhone. Completely horrendous. Amateur sub-par effort on virtually every setup and shot. It's painful and draws you away from being able to get involved in the story.

Two main actors do the best of a bad job, but with little pacing or character development, there's almost nothing here to Invest in.

The shots in the car while they are travelling, I have seen better executed by Police Detectives using hidden cameras in drug stings and murder for hire.

If you like cinema, or even want to watch a comedy then avoid this one. The jokes were few and far between, predictable and cliched.

Garbage!

I had some hopes for this flick even though it was obviously very low budget, the beginning wasn't bad. In fact everything was fine - well, at least I was meeting it halfway - until the old, ugly men catch up with a troupe of burlesque dancers.

Just an announcement to those whom it may concern: sex workers don't sit around saying "yummy" over geriatric retirees or say that roly-poly balding 55 year olds are "kinda cute" in passing. This is completely and utterly unrealistic. In fact when the women were first introduced, I thought they were street prostitutes trying to hustle the two men for money.

It's not "charming" or "life affirming" that elderly men or homely, out-of-shape, middle-aged men think they still deserve to be chased and bedded by younger, fitter and more attractive women. It's called misogyny. Charming and life affirming would be these two characters matching with likewise ladies, like adults.

Great acting, story line and characters. Loved the movie. Sad, funny and heartwarming.

There are no trolls in this little gem of a film, but there apparently are in the reviews. This is a well produced, well acted, and well written story about two people very different from each other who discover themselves when fate throws them together. It's a bit retro in story and style, but that's where its charm comes from. Ray Barry, a veteran actor who you've seen across decades of movies, embodies his character with life experience and the wisdom only a life well lived can bring. His cohort, played by Randy Nazarian, plays off Barry in a winning combination. A buddy movie, a road trip movie, and a travel adventure all in one. The film has wit, wisdom, and the wherewithal to tell a fine story about not losing faith in life and not giving up on your dreams. Recommended.