Long Way Round
2 men, 2 bikes, 20,000 miles . . . .
I just saw a great documentary about 2 British actors who decide that they want to ride their bikes all the way around the world. So, Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman come very close to doing just that in Long Way Round. They leave London to drive through Germany, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and the United States, before arriving in New York 107 days later. They make the entire journey (minus one short flight) cross-country on their BMW motorcycles, even though the trails lack paved roads, and often, any roads. It's an exciting film because it documents their entire adventure: from its conception in a bar, through the logistics and planning, to the spectacular road trip itself. The film's filled with humor, incredible landscapes, interesting encounters with locals, and frantic bike repairs.
The documentary was originally aired as a television series on the BBC, and each 1 hour episode covers roughly a week of their trip. The film's focus is more on adventure and people than motorcycles. And even though they're celebrities, Ewen and Charley are grounded, funny people who try to make the trip as genuine as possible. They don't stay in 5 star hotels or eat in gourmet restaurants; they ride all day, they get lost, they camp in the wilderness, and they encounter major obstacles. But, in the end, they overcome these problems with ingenuity, and often due to the generosity of complete strangers. It's an unpredictable, interesting tale, and it's definitely worth watching if you're interested in traveling, riding, or human nature. It seems Ewen and Charley had such a great time that they've already made a second trip from Scotland to South Africa. That documentary should be out this fall.
Highly Recommended.
4 out of 5Reviewed by Laurel
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