Damn you, Dax
Shepard. We had a good thing going. I had an unexplainable hatred of you; you
had no knowledge of my existence whatsoever. I was used to this arrangement.
Comfortable. Happy, even. So imagine my worry as I enter a movie written,
directed, and starring that very man.
Shepard plays
Yul Perrkins, a.k.a. Charlie Bronson, a man stuck in a podunk town in the
witness protection program. And he is in love with Annie (Bell). Bronson cannot
go back to Los Angeles, where he witnessed a murder, forcing him to uproot his
life. Unfortunately, Annie has been offered a once-in-a-lifetime career
opportunity located in none-other-than Los Angeles. Thus begins the road trip.
It's not a
groundbreaking plot. As they make their way to L.A., the tattered pasts of the
couple literally collide with them in a wine-colored Chrysler, a minivan, and a
sports car. They're driven from each other when they find out each other's
secrets, and then they're driven right back into each other's arms. Their
physical hurdles act as metaphors for their relationship. It's your basic road
movie.
The exposition gets a
little in the way at times, but overall, the movie is loads of fun. Tom Arnold
scores more than a few laughs as Bronson's witness protection agent, the
nervous and clumsy Randy. Bradley
Cooper, Beau Bridges, and Michael Rosenbaum all fill out the cast, bringing
plenty of hijinks along with them. But the movie succeeds most every time
Shepard and Bell appear on screen. Born of their in-real-life love, the
chemistry between the two drives the movie. The driving action is exciting, but
the sweetness of the couple is what draws the eye.
So I would like to
formally apologize, Dax. You win. I like you. Congratulations.
