Plot: What’s it about?
Jack (Jared Leto) has little ambition and even less direction in his life, but when he finds himself in deep trouble, he quickly choses a direction and follows it, so long as it leads out of town, that is. You see, he was having an affair with a married woman and when her husband discovered this, he was very perturbed. And since her husband happens to be a mobster, Jack needed to get out of his town on the double, or face certain doom. So he rounds up his best mate Pilot (Jake Gyllenhaal), fills up the gas tank, and heads off toward Seattle, which seems as good a place as any, especially since it is home to the grunge rock movement they so love. At the current time, they can make their way into Seattle just in time to attend a ceremony for Kurt Cobain, which would mean a lot to them both. But as they pass through various locales, they meet all kinds of people and even wind up with a hot young woman (Selma Blair) in tow. But when all is said and done, will Jack have to pay the price for his poor decisions? Or will this trip be just the cooling period needed to spare his doomed fate, regardless of his prior mistakes?
As this film was promoted as being about a vigil to Kurt Cobain’s funeral, I had serious doubts about how well it would turn out. But that is just mentioned off hand in the movie, so don’t assume that is the focus, as it certainly isn’t the case. Even so however, Highway never amounts to much beyond a diversion and while it is a decent watch, it doesn’t stand out as memorable, even in terms of a scene or two. It follows the usual “road trip” and “buddy movie” guidelines, as the friends learn about each other and themselves, as well as the assorted characters they run into, including a beautiful young woman. So don’t come here to see new ground broken, but Highway does have some fun moments, though not as many as it should have. Jared Leto, Selma Blair, and Jake Gyllenhaal all turn in acceptable, but not too good performances, while the supporting cast has some cool smaller roles to work with. I’d recommend this movie as a rental, especially New Line has done little with this disc, not a single extra to be found, even a trailer! When you combine that with the movie itself, this one is a natural choice for a rental night.
I suppose I chose to focus on Selma Blair due in part to lack of other worthwhile options, since the two male leads are less than impressive here, but more because she has immense potential, though it is often wasted here. I’ve been a fan of Blair’s work for some time now, as she can play just about any role with skill, from airheads to ice queens to upper class bitches and beyond, she can do it all. I grant you that she might not retire with a shelf of awards for her performances, but she is good in her pictures and is always fun to watch, which is a real compliment. Of course, her stunning good looks make her presence even more welcome, so here’s to many more Blair appearances, hopefully in better films than this, however. Other films with Blair include Cruel Intentions, Down to You, Debutante, Brown’s Requiem, and Legally Blonde. The cast also includes Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream, American Psycho), Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy), and John C. McGinley (Office Space, Nothing to Lose).
Video: How does it look?
Highway is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also included on this dual layered disc. As usual, New Line supplies a top notch effort here and while this transfer is not flawless, it comes close at times. It all starts with a clean source print, which shows only minor nicks and such, while the image suffers from minimal grain, so the picture is as sharp as a tack throughout. The black levels here remain rich and well defined, while colors have a strong, bright presence and flesh tones are natural as well. I did see some edge enhancement in places, but aside from that, this transfer is excellent and it should please everyone.
Audio: How does it sound?
You’ll find a Dolby Digital 5.1 option included here, but don’t expect too much, as this is a rather basic audio experience. I found the surrounds to be weak throughout, as they’re not used much outside of the musical soundtrack. This means the mix has little depth and atmosphere, which can soften the mood in some scenes. But in this case, the film does just fine without the added surround presence, so I won’t complain too much. I do think some scenes could use a boost, but since the flick sounds good as is, I’ll leave it alone. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English subtitles, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
