RX - Strade senza ritorno

Although headlined by a talented cast and set in the backdrop of the beautiful Mexican countryside, this film falls short of its goal. Although the director obviously holds high hopes of his film becoming a dark, gritty, drug-smuggling drama, he is too quick to protect a reputation he does not yet have, and instead "Rx" becomes a mediocre, unfeeling, eye-rolling soap opera. From the opening frames of our main characters dancing and laughing together on a ridge overlooking a sunrise to the rolling titles, this film is filled with one let down after another. Just when you think things are getting interesting, you are forced to sigh, roll your eyes, and check the timer on your DVD player to see when this agony will be over. The only redeemable quality within this film is the performance that comes from Mr.Eric Balfour, whose portrayal of Andrew, the kid who's smuggling drugs from Mexico to try an help out his parents, is emotional, believable, and quite frankly, the only thing that keeps this film afloat, at least until its disappointing and abrupt ending. All in all, "Rx" is made up of an unprovocative script fulfilled with unimaginative directing and unoriginal acting. Not a complete waste of time, I enjoyed it. But not an Oscar contender by any means.

In RX, three friends (Eric Balfour, Colin Hanks, and Lauren German) travel to Mexico for a big party. Of course, another reason for crossing the border is in play, illegal drugs and lots of them.

We get the idea very early on that things can't possibly end well in this thriller / cautionary tale. Lies are told, crimes are committed, and the stakes balloon to enormous proportions for the unfortunate trio.

It's set up so that we'll hope for them to make it back to the States in spite of the impossible odds against them. There's a dark vibe in RX similar to that found in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, though, admittedly not as utterly bleak or as well-realized as in that film...

I know the big struggles independent filmmakers often have trying to make movies, so I don't want to come across as a grouch concerning this movie. But quite frankly, I just don't think this movie succeeds. The main problem with the movie is the script. For starters, it is badly paced - the first half of the movie is really padded out, so much so that viewers will quickly become impatient by the movie's seeming reluctance to throw in some kind of conflict. The second half of the movie is a little more successful, with big problems coming up for the protagonists and a few scenes of (mild) suspense. But ultimately, this half of the movie does not succeed because of another problem with the screenplay - the protagonists are annoying. They fail to generate even a little bit of sympathy from the audience, being stupid and law-breakers. I will admit that the movie even during its first (slow) half is not boring, and it looks good for what was a rock bottom budget. But ultimately, there seems to be no point to this movie. It isn't insightful, it isn't really all that entertaining, and it's only slightly more engaging than watching a blank wall for 85 minutes.

This is a lousy flick.

The three main characters were especially irritating. I only continued watching in the hope that I would get some enjoyment out of watching them suffer once things started going wrong. Unfortunately,the level of suffering they endured did not match the poverty of their acting ability or the superficiality of the characters they played. They were not helped by a lousy script. The plot, although not highly original, did have some potential for suspense and interest, however this was never realised in this film. No one involved in this film deserves ever to work in the movie industry again.

I'm not sure what "Rx" stands for, but in New Zealand, the film is released as "Simple Lies" which is an appropriate title, as lies are plentiful in this slick thriller in which three early-20 year-olds venture to Mexico with various intentions, mainly which involve getting drugs to take back to the States and sell for a profit.

Eric Balfour stars as Andrew, who has come into financial issues, and plans to buy drugs in Mexico to take back to the States and sell, which is unknown to his girlfriend, Melissa, played by Lauren German, who goes to Mexico with him, along with their friend Jonny (Colin Hanks) who knows the two drug dealers they are going to meet, while Melissa thinks they are going to Mexico just for a big party.

Without giving too much away, something goes horribly wrong on the way back to the States, so before they reach the border, they turn back into Mexico, where they return to the drug dealers, Pepe (Alan Tudyk) and Raul (Ori Pfeffer), which puts strain on the relationship between Andrew and Melissa. Our protagonists are forced to fight for their lives, resulting in a dramatic and tragic ending.

I say dramatic and tragic, because even though what Andrew does is morally wrong, he is still a very good person, as he does what he does for what he thinks are the right reasons. Balfour does a great job of conveying Andrew's plight, German and Hanks are both good in their roles, but Balfour is without a doubt the star of the film. The characters of the drug dealers Pepe and Raul are so incredibly annoying that I was practically cheering when they got their cometh-upeth. Overall, a very decent thriller which showcases Balfour's talents well.