Passenger Side

Michael is a struggling writer, who has had a life not so curiously exciting. His brother Tobey has been into addiction, and is trying to recover from it.

The brothers do not share a healthy relationship, which is largely cloaked by strangeness and no talks. One day, Tobey calls Michael and asks him to come with him, which is driven by the motive to find something that is ‘very important’ to him. Michael accepts and the two start their odyssey in a beaten-up BMW. On the way, they meet several weird characters, who lend liveliness to this movie, but the major laughs, tears and other emotions that gradually surface, come from the discourse that the two brothers find themselves slipping into. Even though they start quietly, as they leave behind the glitzy LA to enter the more beautiful and charming Southern California, the air of awkwardness shifts aside to lend the brothers with moments of expression. They delve into each other’s life, thereby churning out touching words that largely bring tears to your eyes, and you realize the meaning of life and how important it is to never miss out on the moments that could be truly yours. Backed by amazing soundtrack, the BMW hops to its wonderful destination that ‘Passenger Side’ set out to reach to, ever since Michael revved the engine.

Nothing extraordinary in the plot, yet ‘Passenger Side’ embraces the radiance that not only lightens one’s mood, but also makes one feel better and contented. Passenger Side takes us on one of the best rides of this summer.

Easily amongst the most unconventional movies of the year, Passenger Side offers the most unconvincing looking protagonists in Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette. The two star as brothers, Michael and Tobey, two brothers who are miles apart. The drug-addled Tobey calls up Michael in a fit of desperation on Michael’s birthday. Director Matt Bissonnette captures Michael’s guilt-laden expression with such effect that everybody is forced to sympathize with him.

From then begins the sarcasm and contention filled sequence of two brothers coming together despite both having a snotty and haughty attitude towards the other. Michael drives Tobey around for some secret errands that he has to complete. And the crazy support cast makes the viewers wonder in amazement as the movie progresses from a verbal duel between the brothers, to their confrontations with other hilarious characters. The satirical conversations involving allegations and counter-allegations between the two, are the highlights of this laugh riot.