Two estranged brothers spend a pivotal day together in Matt Bissonette's unconventional road movie. Struggling novelist Michael (Adam Scott) reluctantly cancels plans to spend his 37th birthday with his girlfriend when his recovering drug addict sibling Tobey (Bissonette's brother Joel) talks him into chauffeur duty after Tobey's car transmission dies. As they drive in and around Los Angeles, the duo trade barbs while Tobey runs a series of mysterious errands. During their travels, the pair meet a suspicious neighbor, a friendly hooker, an injured worker, and a conservative hitchhiker. Tobey also drops by a porn shoot (Afghan Whigs singer Greg Dulli plays the director). In moments when their bantering turns serious, Michael discovers that Tobey isn't looking for drugs, but rather a person, someone who just might change his life for the better. Purposefully episodic and driven by dialogue, Passenger Side plays like an amiable cross between My Dinner with André and Old Joy with a soundtrack featuring Smog, Dinosaur Jr., and other indie favorites. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)
Passenger Side
Strand, 85 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99, Oct. 26 Volume 25, Issue 6
Passenger Side
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