Indie Gems: Passenger Side

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Sibling bonding time.

Michael (Adam Scott) is a writer who agrees to drive his brother, Tobey (Joel Bissonnette) around Los Angeles for the day to run errands. It's clear they haven't spent much time together recently. They find themselves taking a long look at their relationship as they go from one place to another, much to Michael's annoyance.

When I first saw The Vicious Kind, which I raved about here many times, I loved it because it felt so different from what I had seen Adam Scott in. It turns out he's just had those dramatic performances hidden. Passenger Side doesn't match The Vicious Kind in greatness, but it does have one of the most realistic portrayals of sibling bonding I've seen in a long time. Tobey is very laid back, Michael is too uptight. Being forced into a shitty car for a day makes Michael in particular re-examine some things about his life.

The film isn't without its flaws. Since it's essentially a "road trip" type film, some patience may be tested, and there's still a very illogical moment where a hooker jumps in Michael's car, beats off, then makes HIM pay for it. Like, why did you give her money? What the fuck was that? The ending was unexpected, and the chemistry between Scott and Bissonnette was enough to make me glad I watched.

Grade: B-

Watched on: Netflix DVD

Memorable Quote: "I can bend spoons with my mind now." - Tobey (Joel Bissonnette)

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 29, 2016 at 8:23 AM

    How did I miss this movie during my great Adam Scott obsession of 2015? Definitely going to have to check this out! :)
    - Allie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 29, 2016 at 1:25 PM

      I'm not even sure how I came across it so it's okay. lol

      Delete
  2. RuthJuly 31, 2016 at 6:10 PM

    I've only seen Adam Scott in his comedic roles so I'm curious about The Vicious Kind and this one as you rate it so high.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 1, 2016 at 1:27 PM

      The Vicious Kind is one of my favorites, I'd definitely watch that one first.

      Delete

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