Road to Paloma

As I sat in the movie theater watching Road to Paloma, Clint Eastwood came to mind. Just for a moment I thought he directed this film, however it is the directorial debut of Jason Momoa, who also co-wrote and starred in the film as Wolf. The performances are low-key, the visuals tell the story, not a lot of dialogue, wonderful use of music, and the movie is leisurely and laid-back. It is about family, love, redemption, brotherhood, and justice. And it is also has an "Easy Rider" vibe. The Cinematography by Brian Mendoza is to be noted. I was immersed in Wolf's journey. If you are looking for a shoot-em up action movie, this is not for you.

Robert Wolf is on the run and on a mission. along the way we laugh, play and cry with him. we get frustrated. we fall in love. we get scared and heartbroken. what a journey.

i was so impressed with this feature length debut from Pride of Gypsies. cinematography, mood, tone, cast, dialog all fit (though dialog was light). there was deeply felt emotion throughout, but balanced with much appreciated levity. Jason Momoa directed a well-rounded experience. under Momoa's direction, i have to say that Chris Browning (Schaeffer) and Michael Raymond-James (Irish) stole it. they were wonderful and so perfect in their roles. Chris Browning, well, i have only seen him play sleazy characters, so this was a treat to see a different side of him. Linden Chiles (Bob, may he RIP) and, of course, Momoa (who basically played himself) were great to watch. Robert Mollohan (Cash) was...well...you gotta see lol. wish there was more Wes Studi though.

i especially loved Brian Mendoza's cinematography. scenes by firelight, by morning light, by dusk and storm, by flare. i don't believe i have seen such brilliant use of natural light on earthy human beings since "Girlfight". i like the way he fills his shots with equal attention to foreground and background. this could easily have looked crowded, but in a movie with sparse dialog it was smart to keep the eye moving in almost every frame. there were some grainy moments that sort of added to the low-budget flavor of the piece. but then there were shots that looked like they would cost a fortune to recreate.

heartfelt, poignant, relevant...i recommend this one highly to those who care about good stories. if you keep producing this quality (or better), PoG you got me.

I for one think this film was an excellent work of art. The story was great in my opinion, and it honestly was a different type of tale. Going into the movie I knew the back story, since I had watched some of Jason Momoa's earlier interviews, where he had stated that a lot of serious crimes happen in the native area, but are not taken seriously by the public.

This film shows the different aspects of Jason Momoa's work and greatness! I can see why he was tired of being type-cast as the big tough guy - and hopefully this film changes people's thoughts about him and his work. Momoa's acting was very strong, as was the writing and the directing! The directing was just awesome - the wide shots were amazing and it really captured the beauty of land and natural structures.

Lastly, the soundtrack was phenomenal and let's not forget Robert Mollohan's portrayal as Cash. His performance was really under-shadowed, and he really deserves some recognition.

In conclusion, I feel this movie was amazing. With a mere $600,000 budget, the cast and the story were outstanding. Being tired of sequels and prequels, this is an original tale, which is definitely worth a watch.

Takes you on a man's journey of what consquences lead up to when you chose to take the law into your own hands for family. Jason shines and shows promise.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but having seen the 7.4 rating on IMDb I decided to give it a shot. I am not disappointed, despite the rating being quite a bit lower now.

Even though the film is about a fugitive on the run, it does not feel like he is escaping. It feels he is aware of his limited time before facing the law, but it does not change who he is or how he behaves. He travels on his motorcycle, visits friends, helps out whom he can and ultimately is on a mission to spread his mother's ashes where she wished to rest. He joins together with a less perfect but still very likable man and they travel together. They are being pursued by two lawmen, one clearly conflicted and the other totally ruthless.

It's a very pleasant ride; we get to know the main hero, empathise with him and presumably are expected to fully agree with him dispensing justice. I won't get into whether we should or shouldn't agree, however the biggest complaint I have about this film is how much it shoves this rationalisation of vigilante justice in our face. The film could have been a lot more subtle and definitely could have hinted another side of the story. We would still sympathise with the protagonist, but through a more realistic understanding of his plight, rather than being fed a one-sided view.

I gave this film a 7 despite the above flaw. This is because this flaw is easy to spot, understand and ignore. Once you do that, the film is engaging and enjoyable.