"THE TRAVEL COMPANION" - MSPIFF EARLY REVIEW

Films about filmmakers—especially debuts feature films about filmmakers— are hard to do well, but THE TRAVEL COMPANION is a refreshing and observant chuckle-out-loud comedy that manages a light tone with deep-cutting film industry jokes that are not so “inside baseball” that it shuts out the rest of the audience. The situations and conflicts are those of many a young adult, which make this a very relatable, and very watchable, little movie.

Directed by the duo of Brooklyn Center’s own Travis Wood and Alex Mallis (who also wrote the screenplay with Weston Auburn), THE TRAVEL COMPANION follows Simon and Bruce: childhood best friends-turned-adult roommates living in Brooklyn. Bruce works as a scheduler for an airline, with perks that include providing a “travel companion“ with free air travel over the course of one year. Simon, an amiable but unambitious documentary filmmaker, is the current beneficiary, booking trips near and far (sometimes with Bruce and often solo) as he “scouts locations” for an obscure documentary that is, in his words, “marinating.” The movie opens with delightful Altmanesque zooms on a bitingly funny filmmaker Q&A, as Simon is milking the festival circuit with his thesis film, now a couple of years old. There, Simon and Bruce meet Beatrice, a serious filmmaker, who both lights a fire under Simon‘s bum in terms of his own career, and who becomes an eventual romantic partner for Bruce. All well and good… until Simon’s travel companion status is in jeopardy, and makes Simon finally see what is obvious to everyone else: he’s not so much traveling to exciting destinations as he is running away from his dreams.

Recently picked up by smart indie distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories (co-founded by the late Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys) and now screening at the 45th annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) as part of a nearly month-long Minnesota theatrical/festival run, THE TRAVEL COMPANION makes the most out of its modest means. At times, it reminded me of the scrappiness of SWINGERS with a bit of the formal polish of a more recent New York story, PAST LIVES. It’s a small movie, but not one where you ever feel the constraints of its budget. This love triangle is made up of three well-rounded characters, all performed by terrific naturalistic actors that I hope to see again. Compulsively clad in a denim vest over whatever else he happens to throw on that day, Tristan Turner perfectly channels Simon as a sweet and soulful goofball with depth and layers that would serve him well if expressed, if he could only get out of his own way. As Bruce, Anthony Overbeck has a sort-of Ron Livingston affability as the only member of the trio with a “real adult job” and no filmmaking aspirations, but with the kind support of a loving friend. Naomi Asa reminded me a lot of a young Jane Adams not only physically, but in terms of her wit and delivery. Adding to the slice-of-life quality are wonderful side characters, like a young man who wants a specific picture taken with Beatrice’s medium format film camera, a cab driver who proudly shares his commercial background acting successes, and a bodega owner regrettably started leaving his cat at home at the behest of a new girlfriend; a dynamic that roughly parallels Simon’s current predicament.

The film is also a fine New York movie, and boasts an inviting summer-to-fall atmosphere and beautiful, confident cinematography (by Jason Chiu) that makes it feel like a film from the 90s, without any unneeded flash that would detract from the charming character study at its center.

As a filmmaker myself who writes movie reviews— or, as is sometimes the case, as a movie reviewer who makes films?— I felt both seen and maaaaaaybe a little personally attacked. THE TRAVEL COMPANION is both life-affirming and a gentle kick to be brave enough to tell your own stories, and in this case, one that has an ending that’s even sweeter than how it began.

This is a good story well told, and I look forward to seeing whatever Wood and Mallis and Co. come up with next.

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#westonauburn

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#anthonyoverbeck

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Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com