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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Drama Director: Erik Weigel |
Against an ever changing American landscape, “El Camino” follows Lily, played by Elizabeth Moss as she travels across the country
with Gray, played by Chris Denham, and Elliot, played by Leo Fitzpatrick, as they travel with the ashes of their friends in hand to fulfill his
final wishes of having them spread in Mexico. The film is full of twists and turns. As these young adults continue on their journey they
are forced to confront the selves that they didn’t know and their grief. Though it sounds like an easy to follow story line, nothing happens
the way viewers would expect.
“El Camino,” which translated means the journey or the path which the film goes to great lengths to let viewers know, is a film about the
story of a road trip involving three young adults with nothing in common other than a friend who has passed away. Though it may sound
like Lil is the lead character of the film, those watching the film will find out that it is actually Elliot who seems to take the lead role in the
film, and he is something of a secret message through the entire film.
Through the setting of the road trip, the film covers the topics of youth and loss. It covers youth in the sense of the everlasting
adolescence inside of everyone and loss in the sense of losing touch of childhood, friends and family. Gray has issues with his father
and fears that he will grow up to be just like him. Elliot lost both of his parents and his friend from his days at a foster home. He holds
the world within his video camera. Lily is the one that seems to only exist on film, the typical indie film girl. She is a stripper who enjoys
wearing a variety of wigs, smokes way too much and is a very free spirit. Viewers will also notice Wes Studi, known for his roles in “The
New World” and “Seraphim Falls,” as he takes on the role of the Magical Indian Mechanic. He appears in and out of the film very quickly
in order to be the counterpoint of the good, present father. He mentions a son in Iraq who is implied to clearly be possessed with focus,
maturity and a number of goals to pursue.
Viewers of this film will quickly notice how things seem to happen in three on the journey. Phone calls home will often appear in threes
in order to show the progress of the characters. Even encounters with children that appear in the film also seem to be happening in
sets of three. Everything in the film is laid out perfectly with a very tight story structure and story arcs that would be expected from
beginning filmmakers, but it works very well with this particular film.
While there isn’t anything that many people haven’t seen before in a film, it would be very unfair to say that this isn’t a good film. Every
road trip is unique and no two will ever be exactly the same, even if the destination is the same. Each one follows its own rules and
paths. This one is no different, with excellent music and shots of the country blurring by, it offers a glimpse at Americana with every
shot. Though the travel companions aren’t very empathetic, they are pleasant enough in their quiet moments to pass the time.
There are several special features on the DVD that may interest some people. The special features offer a trailer for the film and
deleted scenes from the film that viewers are able to watch with or without commentary from the film’s directors. Also included on the
DVD is a short film, “Gravity,” a seventeen minute film created by the same director as the main film. This short film follows two
soldiers, an American soldier and a German soldier, both of which are trapped in trees by their parachutes after being dropped. The
film follows their brief connection and this connection feels very honest and is worth watching.
Director Erik Weigel does a great job of capturing some magnificent views of the country that the character travel through and makes
some fascinating points about the state of our culture and how adolescence is prolonged under certain circumstances. However, other
than a few moments in the film that really pull in viewers, the main characters aren’t as compelling. Though the characters aren’t the
backdrop of the film is, which is a way seems to be exactly what Weigel was hoping for. The focus tends to be less about the
characters and the landscape of the film, and more focused on the trip in general.
“El Camino” tends to be an aimless journey that leads into the lands of the prolonged American adolescence. Elizabeth Moss is an up
and coming star, performing in the television show “Mad Men,” and she turns in a great quiet role with a character that is not very
realistic but is a great travel companion. Leo Fitzpatrick, who has performed in “Fay Grimm” and “The Kill Point,” and Chris Denham
who has credits in “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Headspace” offer great performances as well as their characters make their way
through their journey. The characters follow their story arcs closely, but the landscape of the film flies by as silently as it does during a
real road trip, leaving a unforgettable and beautiful journey.
with Gray, played by Chris Denham, and Elliot, played by Leo Fitzpatrick, as they travel with the ashes of their friends in hand to fulfill his
final wishes of having them spread in Mexico. The film is full of twists and turns. As these young adults continue on their journey they
are forced to confront the selves that they didn’t know and their grief. Though it sounds like an easy to follow story line, nothing happens
the way viewers would expect.
“El Camino,” which translated means the journey or the path which the film goes to great lengths to let viewers know, is a film about the
story of a road trip involving three young adults with nothing in common other than a friend who has passed away. Though it may sound
like Lil is the lead character of the film, those watching the film will find out that it is actually Elliot who seems to take the lead role in the
film, and he is something of a secret message through the entire film.
Through the setting of the road trip, the film covers the topics of youth and loss. It covers youth in the sense of the everlasting
adolescence inside of everyone and loss in the sense of losing touch of childhood, friends and family. Gray has issues with his father
and fears that he will grow up to be just like him. Elliot lost both of his parents and his friend from his days at a foster home. He holds
the world within his video camera. Lily is the one that seems to only exist on film, the typical indie film girl. She is a stripper who enjoys
wearing a variety of wigs, smokes way too much and is a very free spirit. Viewers will also notice Wes Studi, known for his roles in “The
New World” and “Seraphim Falls,” as he takes on the role of the Magical Indian Mechanic. He appears in and out of the film very quickly
in order to be the counterpoint of the good, present father. He mentions a son in Iraq who is implied to clearly be possessed with focus,
maturity and a number of goals to pursue.
Viewers of this film will quickly notice how things seem to happen in three on the journey. Phone calls home will often appear in threes
in order to show the progress of the characters. Even encounters with children that appear in the film also seem to be happening in
sets of three. Everything in the film is laid out perfectly with a very tight story structure and story arcs that would be expected from
beginning filmmakers, but it works very well with this particular film.
While there isn’t anything that many people haven’t seen before in a film, it would be very unfair to say that this isn’t a good film. Every
road trip is unique and no two will ever be exactly the same, even if the destination is the same. Each one follows its own rules and
paths. This one is no different, with excellent music and shots of the country blurring by, it offers a glimpse at Americana with every
shot. Though the travel companions aren’t very empathetic, they are pleasant enough in their quiet moments to pass the time.
There are several special features on the DVD that may interest some people. The special features offer a trailer for the film and
deleted scenes from the film that viewers are able to watch with or without commentary from the film’s directors. Also included on the
DVD is a short film, “Gravity,” a seventeen minute film created by the same director as the main film. This short film follows two
soldiers, an American soldier and a German soldier, both of which are trapped in trees by their parachutes after being dropped. The
film follows their brief connection and this connection feels very honest and is worth watching.
Director Erik Weigel does a great job of capturing some magnificent views of the country that the character travel through and makes
some fascinating points about the state of our culture and how adolescence is prolonged under certain circumstances. However, other
than a few moments in the film that really pull in viewers, the main characters aren’t as compelling. Though the characters aren’t the
backdrop of the film is, which is a way seems to be exactly what Weigel was hoping for. The focus tends to be less about the
characters and the landscape of the film, and more focused on the trip in general.
“El Camino” tends to be an aimless journey that leads into the lands of the prolonged American adolescence. Elizabeth Moss is an up
and coming star, performing in the television show “Mad Men,” and she turns in a great quiet role with a character that is not very
realistic but is a great travel companion. Leo Fitzpatrick, who has performed in “Fay Grimm” and “The Kill Point,” and Chris Denham
who has credits in “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Headspace” offer great performances as well as their characters make their way
through their journey. The characters follow their story arcs closely, but the landscape of the film flies by as silently as it does during a
real road trip, leaving a unforgettable and beautiful journey.
