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The Art of Travel (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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23 comments in total

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
I can't get travel out of my head, 13 March 2008

Author: mathewalmaden from San Jose-Cinequest

So I watched this film to an sold out audience at Cinequest a couple weeks ago. While watching the movie I was entertained, maybe not as much as the rest of the audience who seemed to just love it, but by the end of the film I just thought the film was at least fun to watch, nothing that blew me away, but I wasn't disappointed in the film at all. I watched the Q & A and the filmmakers seemed really passionate about the way it was made and to go out and travel the world. And they had some great stories about how the film was made. And Brooke Burns is so beautiful in person - which by the way she played one of my favorite characters in the film too. Anyway, I walked out of the theater thinking it was alright and now, two weeks later, I'm still thinking about the movie! Now- I think the film is quite amazing and I will rent it if it ever comes out on video. (I'm happy I got to see it on a big screen) How funny huh? It's not the greatest independent I've ever seen, but it's dam entertaining and it makes you want to go out and travel the world. What's crazier is that I actually bought a ticket to Honduras yesterday and I'm setting out for my own adventure! So I warn you, watching the film might make you do something impulsive. . . that's a good movie in my book.

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10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Can't have "Motorcycle Diaries" without a single compelling character, 4 April 2008

Author: patrickcrutchley from United States

Inevitable comparisons to "Motorcycle Diaries". Yes, there is a difficult trek through Central and South America. But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

The Motorcycle Diaries succeeded because Che is a compelling character, not a fresh-out- of-high-school kid with a vindictive sense of humor. There is no self-discovery in this film; no greater themes (populism, for example, in MD).

The main character in this film simply realizes he likes running away from his seemingly-cool family and being a man-child with no responsibilities. He's the embodiment of every guy in a midlife crisis who still wants to do "something really cool" with his life, to get away from it all, with a threesome in a Nicaraguan hotel thrown in for good measure.

I will say that I laughed at certain points in this movie. The supporting characters are much more entertaining (not to say that Masterson was bad in the role; it's just not a very good role). But halfway through, when I started groaning and rolling my eyes more than laughing, it became less and less worth standing in line at the Philly Film Festival for.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
not so great, why so excited everyone?, 26 September 2008

Author: jok-6 from Latvia

Movie was a little entertaining, but nothing new in it.

So... guy who travels... so he travels... and??? NOTHING MORE!!! come on, he does not even makes a lovable character at the end of the movie, in the end you get more interested in other characters - what happened to them, not in him.

I didn't even get the idea - what did director wanted to tell us... I guess nothing. Would not watch this movie again, but still if you have nothing to do you could rent it, but I would not recommend you to go and see it in cinema, just not good enough.

So I give this movie 5 stars - mediocre. Not bad, but definitely not great also.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Not a documentary!, 14 March 2008

Author: christina-263 from Los Angeles

I was able to see "The Art of Travel" during a private screening for the cast and crew at Fox Studios. I had no idea what this film would be about because the title suggests it might be a documentary. I was very surprised that it was actually a feature film and it hooked me within the first ten minutes! I could really relate to this movie because my family is from South America and I have traveled with them to many different countries. Sometimes as Americans we don't realize all the beauty that exists outside our country. I liked that this film sent a message to get out there and educate ourselves not by just watching the local news but by actually experiencing different cultures and places by traveling. Great movie!

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10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Loved it, 2 March 2008

Author: laura_barbarino from United States

I had the privilege of watching this film during the 2008 Film Festival in San Jose, California. This film was beautifully made and I truly enjoyed it. I thought the cast delivered great performances and the cinematography was absolutely spectacular! I loved the fact that this film was exclusively shot on location, so the audience could get a glimpse of each country they traveled to. The audience loved this adventure-comedy-romance story which also delivered some pretty funny scenes. I will say that it had a lot of unnecessary cursing. I thought it would have been just as funny without the excessive bad language. I got the impression that perhaps this was to show the dynamics of each character and how they all worked well together, despite how different they were from each other during the hike.

I'd like to add that at the arrival of my screening, they actually had to turn people away because the film was not only sold out, but had exceeded the max seating capacity of the theater. I learned that this had happened the night before as well. So, if you plan on seeing this film, get there early to guarantee a seat. *I ended up on the floor... and still loved it!

I enjoyed this so much and I highly recommend this film.

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10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Not quite the magnificent seven, 29 January 2008

Author: johno-21 from United States

I recently saw this at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Fesitval. Director/writer Thomas Whelan led a delegation from the film including co-writer Brian LaBelle and actors Christopher Masterson, Angelika Baran and Shalim Ortiz for an audience Q&A after the film. The audience at my screening seemed to really like this adventure-romance tale. Connor Layne (Christopehr Masterson) is a high school graduate, just graduated and accepted to Cal-Berkeley and on his wedding day, (that's right he's getting married at 18 and his fiancé isn't pregnant either) he suddenly and elaborately has a change in plans but decides to go off on a honeymoon of sorts anyway. A chance meeting in Nicaraugua with an adventurous couple Christopher (Johnny Messner) and his wife Darlene (Brooke Burns) finds him enlisted to take part in a grueling journey to set a record by crossing the 100 mile Darien Gap through a dangerous and primitive jungle in a jeep. Also in the crew are Shalim Ortiz as Carlos, Angelika Baran as Anna, James Duvall as Taylor and Jake Muxworthy as Justin. The adventure becomes a life-changing experience for the aspiring writer/adventurer Layne. Veteran actors Maria Conchita Alonso and Ernie Lively are wonderful in support roles as Layne's parents. The entire cast is good and it is beautifully photographed by cinematographer Lawson Derning. You have to suspend belief in the implausibilities and many holes in the story and 28 year old former Malcom in the Middle star Masterson seems a little worldly and long in the tooth for an 18 year old but that didn't stop people from enjoying it and Whelan is already thinking sequel. I spoke privately with Whelan after the Q&A and I brought up several things about the story that I didn't buy, all of which he was well aware of and was a real good sport and I wasn't offending him at all. The seven principal actors are a good cast and it's a feel-good kind of story but I can only muster up a 7 out of 10.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A new fan of the film, 26 January 2008

Author: happyhunter111 from United States

I attended a screening at the Palm Springs Film Festival where the filmmakers spoke after the screening and I have to say that this film is worth finding and checking out! I went into the movie expecting nothing from the film and was blown away by how original it turned out to be! From the opening of the film to the ending I never had any clue which direction the film would take me. Now I have to say that I've actually become a huge fan of Christopher Masterson and his performance was solid. If you are a fan of traveling then this movie is a must see. If you're a fan of independent films then this is also a must see. The photography is amazing although the beginning of the film seems a bit rushed, but you really get into all the characters and want to see the gang make it through the jungle and break the world record. After the movie the filmmakers talked about the hardships all the actors had to deal with and those stories alone blew my mind. Anyway, once again a very original film and I think most people would agree that it's worth checking out. Now I really have the desire to go travel the world.

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9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Motorcycle Diaries meets Into the Wild, 2 March 2008

Author: offthewall11 from California, USA

One of the better entries at Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California. It kept me entertained throughout and also dealt with some consistently fascinating themes such as coming-of-age, maturity, personal growth, and freedom. The cinematography was beautiful, some breath-taking shots of the jungle, and yet always somehow managing to make us feel as claustrophobic and trapped as the characters we followed. A problem many independent films seem to run into is introducing something and then not tying it up, but The Art of Travel wrapped everything up and wrapped it up well, in compliance with both the story and believable character arcs. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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9 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Deviate from your plans: See this movie, 2 March 2008

Author: from United States

I saw this last night at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA, and it is a lovely movie about adventure, exploration, coming of age in your own way. The chemistry between the characters is great, and the scenery is beautiful. The movie is well filmed and of very professional production values.

The premise is that the main character Connor Layne's wedding plans go awry he decides to leave behind his conventional plans for his future and sets off on his honeymoon by himself. This leads to a series of travel adventures involving various mishaps, romance, jungles, rebels, and some rather amusing practical jokes along the way.

I would hope that more people get a chance to see this movie and enjoy it as much as I did.

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
International Travel...no passport required., 1 March 2008

Author: from United States

We had the chance to view this movie today at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose. It was also great to have a questions and answer session with Brooke Burns and the producers. I have to say, I really enjoyed this movie. There are so many great scenic shots of the different areas traveled. The cast seem to really mesh well. The story draws you in and you find yourself wondering what will happed in the end. What does the future hold for Conner Layne? The travel seems so daunting and intense, but the script keeps it light and enjoyable. Plus, Brooke Burns is beautiful. If you are a fan of hers at all, then you will like this movie.

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