Reunion, A

By: Amos Lassen

Josh (Josh Watson) and Michael (Michael Lovan) are two college friends who take an emotional and eventful road trip from Los Angeles to Chicago to attend their 10-year college reunion. They are both approaching 30 and live complacently-neither is fulfilled by their daily lives. They want to grow up but it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon. On their way they stop and visit nine cities-from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Albuquerque to Amarillo to St. Louis, and finally arriving in Chicago. As they traveled they shared memories, contradictions and confessions as each relates his own version of the past. Herman Bansuelo directed the low budget film and we see how the trip and the landscape of America affected the characters.

The film looks back at a history of business and emotions that are still unfinished between Michael and Josh and the director uses humor to show this and for me, at least, it made the film at times a bit frustrating.
The dynamic between Michael and Josh is excellent and we see that they were close friends at college who were out of touch with each other especially since Michael had gone to Japan and Josh remained in Los Angeles. We are not exactly sure what the nature of their relationship in college was and we sense the sexual tension between them. This gives us a hint that they had once been lovers. We also feel that each is still attracted to the other.
When we meet Michael we see immediately that he is playful yet evasive about his past life. There is a certain charm about him but we see that he also could have the ability to be charming. He claims to like the fact that Josh is serious although he seems sure that it is something of an act.
Michael has mapped out a route for the trip with stops along the way. They visit Lisa (Maria Monge), a college friend who is now married and pregnant but that was a bit awkward. Then they stop to see Michael's brother (Joe Fingerhut) and his Japanese wife (Michiyo Fingerhut) and their children but there we learn of something that could affect Michael's future.

We really learn about the two when they are alone on the road where the unspoken issues between them are exposed. We listen and watch carefully when they are in contemplation at the Grand Canyon or in Las Vegas.
Director Bansuelo worked hard with cinematographer Aaron Torres to build visual momentum and the music in the background fits the scenes perfectly. Sometimes the dialogue does not seem to fit or is too ambiguous and some of the scenes to be a bit too improvised but taken as a whole the film is well worth watching as we watch the two young men become closer and fall apart. We see Josh as a guy who drinks too much and who seems to be unhappy and we surmise that is what hinders him from falling in love and dealing with his life. Michael on the other hand has a charisma but he too is far from the ideal guy. He seems to be something of a user and when he does make a connection with someone it tends to be short-lived because he seems himself as unable to maintain a long-term relationship. He does play with flirtation and rejection and even when the guys are naked together and sex seems inevitable so is a confrontation between them. It is then that Josh Michael into thinking about his behavior which causes hurt feelings.

Granted, I have written about some of the weaker parts of the film but I found myself enchanted by what I was watching. When we reach the end, we see something of a sweet look at the two guys and their unresolved relationship yet there is a feeling that is bittersweet causing us to hope that the two will resolve their differences and be together.