Friday, April 24, 2009

Last Stop for Paul





I woke up yesterday at 7:45 AM just as this movie was starting on Starz. It immediately caught my attention with the horrendous acting. The story follows this guy named Charlie who says he works selling toilet seat covers and he only does so to fund his real ambition in life: Traveling. He works most of the year to go on these extravagant trips and always invites someone, but usually goes alone. Right before one of these trips, his cubicle-mate's best friend dies and he decides to go along with Charlie and sprinkle his friend's ashes all over the world. They buy an around the world in 2 weeks series of flights and pose as Frommer's guides to get free rooms all over the country (they only stop at places where they got the free rooms).
The movie is obviously made on a shoe-string budget, but what makes it even more fun is I read on imdb after I finished the movie was that it was done using locals at all the locations and telling them what to say. The ending credits even had outtakes of people in Thailand that were trying to just repeat what the director was asking them to say.
The movie is badly acted, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe because it reminded me of my good friend who quit his job and left all his belongings behind about a year ago and has been traveling the world since. This is something that highly appeals to me, but I can honestly say I do not think I have the balls to do. I do, however love to live vicariously through him and this movie was just another way to do that.
This film is simply a love-letter to traveling and the things that can happen to you if you just allow yourself to do it. The movie is quite short, but highly enjoyable and would recommend it to almost anyone especially anyone that has an inkling in their heart to live a life of no rules or responsibilities (which I think everyone has a little bit of).

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Glad to hear you liked the movie!