30 Miles (2005)

one of my absolute favorites!

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

30 Miles is a film that has clearly been made on a tiny budget, but the evidence isn't found in poor acting or cheap sets, but more from the fact that 90% of the action takes place in the front seat of an SUV. And most of that takes place at night, so most of the film could have been shot in someone's garage for all we know. This isn't a bad thing: the claustrophobic feel of the set adds to the uneasiness that weaves in and out of Cliff Gober's script. The actors are of an acceptable quality, although both were prone to over-emoting at times, and the film's twist, while going a long way towards explaining the behaviour of one of the characters is effective until you start thinking about it – poor Ernie/Paul could have died of thirst in the desert (which would have achieved his objective when you think about it) before he found a suitable accomplice. Given it's two-man and largely one-set scenario, this is probably more suited to a one-hour TV play format than a movie – even given its relatively short running time. The readiness of both characters to bare their souls so readily also grates a little. This is still worth a look though, and shows how a reasonably intelligent and well-written script can make up for lack of budget.

This film is a perfect example of how entertaining a film can be without all of the Hollywood "tricks" like gratuitous violence, gratuitous sex and overkill with special effects. These film makers are very brave and I applaud them. Everyone involved in this project was "working without a net" and they succeeded masterfully. A thought provoking script and riveting performances that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing what will come next. I know this was a low budget, art house film. They didn't have "A" list talent, or all of the bells and whistles of a major studio release. But they made an entertaining, thought provoking psychological thriller out of words and basically 2 guys in a car. Very brave! I hope more people have a chance to see this film. Well done!

30 Miles is a movie based entirely on two characters: 'Ernie' {Rusty Gray} and Anthony {Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs}. Two complete strangers meet in the not so common circumstances where Ernie's car breaks up and waits all day to get a lift. This is where Anthony comes in, as a kind and caring person decides to help poor Ernie.Other than that 90% of the movie is based in Anthony's SUV where they are having a deep conversation (really deep in fact). Talking from experience this was pretty boring and seemed irrelevant but I advise that you should pay attention to almost every detail specified (even if you don't pay attention you'll still be able to follow up just great) but it's better if you try to understand the dialog especially Ernie's persistent questioning.Believe me, the ending was just great and it compensates for all the possibly dull moments. You will than understand Paul's (who's Paul?) masterpiece plan. I would recommend this movie for anyone (exluding those that only seek to watch action movies).In my opinion this was a great movie even though to it's complete simplicity. Contrary to a sci-fi movie leaving viewers awed with the wonderful editing and content, this will amuse the viewers with it's quality and moral.

Strange and wonderful little film. Two characters. A simple dialog. 99% of the film takes place in the front seat of an SUV. And yet this film had me from the first frame. I found myself watching every nuance of expression, listening to every word, seeking insights to the characters, as these two characters unfolded their lives, letting down their guards, little by little, until the final climactic unexpected moment. Sorry for those who didn't catch the beauty in this small tale. One of those little films I'd never heard of like "Rush Hour" with Danny Aiello and "Around The Bend" with Christopher Walken and Michael Caine, which I simply discovered on the walls of my local video store and which apparently didn't make it to the big screen on the west coast....."30 Miles" is definitely worth the see. I gave it a "10" more because I wanted to weight the vote so more people might watch this neatly tied together little piece.