Sundance: On The Road With Judas

On The Road With Judas is a movie based on a book (of the same name) which stars actors playing characters playing characters from the book and actors playing actors playing characters from the book. Not only does the film timeshift, jumping through the years but it also jumps back and fourth between scenes and a talk show set where the actors and characters are being interviewed about the book which is being filmed as a movie. Confused? You haven't seen or heard anything yet.

Judas is a kleptomaniac who falls in love and contemplates giving up his stealing trade for the girl of his dream. The story sequences are solid, but the diversions are what slows down the overall pace of the movie. It may anger some and confuse most. I'm guessing that you would have to read the book to fully enjoy the film adaptation because it's less of an adaptation and more of a spin-off.

Judas is a Charlie Kaufman movie on crack: incredibly imaginative, but lacking proper direction. It's amazingly unique and incredibly original, yet for some reason it doesn't work as a whole. You have to admire what a spectacular failure this is. Most people only fail in moderation. It takes a genius like JJ Lask to create something this insane. And I also wonder why the Lask portrayed in the movie is such a self absorbed slob, when the real life writer/director appeared to be far from the screen depiction.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10