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This is a contemporary feature length film now at the Tribeca film festival The title of the film relates to the uncanny number of rock stars that made it just to the age of 27. The movie starts off with the demise of the central character’s friend, Tom, at the age of 27. This initial confrontation gives Eliot a face off with his own mortality and we later learn that this friend had been involved with drugs and had been in a popular rock band with Eliot called Finn as the person who did most of the lead on the singing. The wheeling presence of this event that had such finality, sends Eliot into an Immediate personal tailspin where he is angry and confrontational with all that is out there. We learn that Eliot has some large amount of money at his disposal apparently due to the bands popular success and now there are backers of this high profile band who are trying to find him and make sure he is alright. As sudden and as heartbreaking as this was, he seems to be in more than a slight tailspin than otherwise should have been even from the tragic event and there is an allusion to the idea that he might be next in the near term, and he brings a strong initial resistance to this. While the film doesn’t delve into whether Eliot also imbibed in substances of excess such as drugs and or alcohol, a couple of statements later in the movie confirm that he did, but doesn’t say to what extent and the interpretation on this could be open, maybe he just delved into it slightly but this could always lead to more and therefore more danger. Initially he brings his anger into a local store and a young guy working the counter comes outside and says to count to 10 and take a deep breath. He then says he needs a driver for a few days and gives him 10,000 dollars in cash. What ensues is a beautiful road trip, with not all that much dialogue but with any number of scenes done in flashback to earlier part’s of Eliot’s life and his long time friendship with his departed friend Tom. When two girls see him and say aren’t you the guy in the band Finn, he denies this and it seems that he is in the midst of overall denial and needs to have some sort of healing to reach out from this. The driver, somewhat more youthful, a young man, even though Eliot doesn’t seem all that much older, probably around 27 himself, represents a healing presence, someone who is sincere, could be corrupted maybe but has an overall resistance to anything that would seem hurtfull for the most part. He displays spirituality and faith, in somewhat simplistic form he says sometimes the simple way is the way. He later picks up a girl hitchhiker, who also exudes this purity and goodwill, as Eliot stays in the backseat of the car. Between the two of them, they exhibit genuine concern for the welfare of Eliot. The weave back to his past shows some crucial events, some of which were negative and have resonated to his current consciousness and the movie seems at this point to lead us to a place of not knowing if this is last looks for Eliot as well. You see Eliot more in these flashback thoughts and his reaction to them more than in any dialogue in the present. Eliot seems to have missed on cementing certain ties that might have helped him through this, and this could have including spiritual ties, personal ties which if they had been forged would have been the bridge past. But the question is, can this new found guardian angel type friends, get him past these difficult few days. Some of the scenes in this film was awesomely done in terms of the landscapes and the music was quite good. There is an elemental sadness to Eliot, that despite his heart throb looks, his financial and popular success, he seems to already have passed by what he now sees as what had been most meaningful to him, had he seen it at the time and one embodiment of this is the appearance of an apparent former girlfriend who seems great but has long since moved on to his surprise and dismay. The driver and his new friend the girl hitchhiker, represent the uncorrupted that can still offer hope to those that have already begun to fall. It is interesting that the age gap isn’t all that much and also that they seem to come from an era of an earlier innocence before there even was a 27 club, even though they are indeed contemporary. Even if he can get past this and into the future, there is an essential sadness to losses which are even bigger and wider than just losing Tom. There is an intermittent link with spirituality and faith in this film and this seems to be one of the revolving doors that Eliot may need to open and keep open, if he is to find his way ever again. Some of the scenes and scenery in this movie are quite beautiful, and music is mint as well.
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