Movie Review: From Hollywood to Rose - A Long Ride That Goes Nowhere

Genre: Comedy

Directors: Liz Graham and Matt Jacobs

Cast: Eve Anneberg, Maxx Maulion, Brad Herman, Nija Okoro, Isadora O’Boto, Krzysztof Sosznski, Linda Biesti, and Chia Chen

Studio: Irving Orders Whitefish Productions

Runtime: 84 minutes

Release Date: In Limited Theaters Friday, June 16, 2017

Rated: NR

Rating ★★★★★

I’m the type of person who likes to people watch when riding the bus. It sounds weird but there is something fascinating to me about seeing someone and imagining what’s going on in their life based on what they look like and why they’re taking the bus. So when I found out From Hollywood to Rose takes this idea of people watching while riding the bus and tries to turn it into an epic adventure, I was naturally intrigued.

The film takes place over the course of one night in LA as a middle-aged woman in a wedding dress (Eve Anneberg) takes a Metro bus on Hollywood Blvd. in an effort to get to Venice Beach. Along the way, she bumps into a mix of eccentric and social outcasts who make her wonder how she ended up where she is.

Movie Review: <em>From Hollywood to Rose</em> - A Long Ride That Goes Nowhere 2

Eve Anneberg plays the woman in the wedding dress.

The film is small in scale but some of the best films find their grandness in the mundane aspects of life, such as the strange people you meet on the bus. Unfortunately, just like a bus ride, From Hollywood to Rose takes forever to get to its destination and makes you question why you took it in the first place.

It’s easy to see the appeal one might have to see the film. It’s quirky and the comedy is offbeat, bringing to mind indie comedies from the past like Juno, for example. The difference between movies like that and From Hollywood to Rose, however, is that here, there are no truly interesting characters or a compelling story really. Characters have no names, only descriptions of what they look like or what they’re wearing and their personalities are equally as deep. The story, as basic as it is already, is barely existent.

The biggest issue is the film’s pacing. It meanders through scenes of characters talking about mundane topics that are drawn out to the point of tediousness. Thus, From Hollywood to Rose feels twice as long due to the scenes having no sense of urgency.

Movie Review: <em>From Hollywood to Rose</em> - A Long Ride That Goes Nowhere 3

The three strangers share a moment together.

There is nothing wrong with a film that uses dialogue to drive the action forward. Unfortunately, for From Hollywood to Rose, the dialogue is unable to carry the film. There’s potential there, such as when Maxx Maulion and Brad Herman’s characters argue about which Batman movie is the best, but their conversation lacks any wit or bite.

The film is at its best when Anneberg is on screen and the focus shifts to her reactions. Her mostly silent performance brings complexity to her character, making the mystery of how she ends up on a bus in a wedding dress more captivating. This positive vanishes though when the answer is unveiled far sooner than it should be, making her character nowhere near as compelling as it was when nothing is known about her.

Some of the random characters who show up are entertaining. One is a bus driver who has a mental breakdown (Danny Cleary) because he couldn’t make it as a chef. His story is probably the biggest highlight of the film. But like him, most of the characters appear so briefly, they don’t leave an impact.

It’s hard to find a reason to recommend From Hollywood to Rose. There are fleeting moments of enjoyment but not enough to make the whole experience worth it. If it were a 30-45 minute short film, it would probably work but as is, you’re probably better taking an actual bus and talking to the people there.

For more on this film, visit:

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5136898/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FromHollywood2Rose/

Watch the trailer: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUw_cJ5laFQ&t=11s

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Dustin Kogler

Professional amateur movie watcher. Dustin is a laid-back nerd who loves discussing pop culture. He loves listening to 80s music, playing video games and watching netflix all day. He's pretty sarcastic and if you tell him your favorite movie he can tell you why you're wrong.