by Everett Jensen

Created on: June 19, 2009

The Bicyclists
written and directed by Carl Jameson
starring Jayme S. Hall, Melissa Goad, Elle Poindexter, Paul Glazier, Trish Egan, Galen Schrick, Natahlie Krista Lauren, Max Merritt,

Filmed almost entirely in and around Portland, OR, this production tracks the life of the bored son of a cheese plant owner who decides to head out west from Wisconsin to find his own way. Conrad Miller (Hall) is a skilled bike mechanic so his chances of landing on his feet wherever he ends up are pretty fair. Naturally, he stumbles into a caf and chats up Lissa Valentine (Goad) who informs him that a shop is in need of a mechanic. He follows the lead and quickly does two things: he lands the job and gets into the jeans of Steve (Poindexter), the female owner of the shop. Most of the film is about their budding relationship and the deadline they've set because Conrad has decided to leave after sixty days.

Not much else happens in this film beyond the Summer fling. Strangely, Lissa has a nasty habit of slicing into her wrists and this fact alone elevates the picture into something beyond what it appears to be at first glance. She is absolutely sickened by her life and is trapped in a relationship with Zack (Glazier), whom she professes not to love. Lissa is begging for release and her man is not quite up to the challenge so she looks to Amsterdam for a possible respite from the agonies that perpetually plague her. In this film she is easily the most complicated character and really the only one worth tearing oneself up over.

Steve and Conrad make cute and it does get a bit nauseating after a while but less so in light of the ending which does come off as rather shocking. They spend their time riding their bikes to a series of nature spots that are filmed economically but are not particularly memorable. This is not a love poem to Portland as the natural wonders that comprise it are not readily featured and treated with a focus on their awe-inspiring elements.

The acting in this film is at times amateurish although this gets cleared up as the film progresses. Overall, the cast works well with the material and the film builds up to a nice, shattering crescendo that is well deserved in the end. There is a scene of utter heartbreak that comes off as one of the rawer displays of despair and grief that cinema has to offer. It's cathartic and allows the audience to truly connect to the emotions being outpoured in the film. Much of this has to do with the editing coupled with the fine performances of three key actors.

Overall, this film captures the wandering spirit of many folk who consider themselves urban explorers who take their bikes out on rides through the countryside and are not adverse to sleeping under the stars now and again. There is a perspective to this film that is informed by a deeply rooted interest in nature and being as much a part of it as possible. The film explores the nature of community, of finding a home, and how readily certain types are able to connect, making their initially solitary journey more comfortable and less deprived. Ultimately, the story relates a short period in one man's life and focuses on a brief romance with a woman who imagines she can withstand the inevitable day when her man leaves to go back home to Mommy, Daddy, and the cheese factory. This is the tension in the film and it's handled expertly.

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