Going Nomad

On the one hand, this little independent film wants to tell the story of a group of men approaching middle age and stuck in their lame routines. On the other, it wants to be a fake documentary about the phenomenon (possibly invented) of Asphalt Nomads, New Yorkers who relish driving at night for its own sake, making all the lights on empty streets. Thus, the drama is interrupted by talking heads footage of these nomads, footage that doesn't pay off or add much to the story that couldn't have been done better if properly integrated into a scene. Damian Young (Snow Day) is El Cid Rivera, so named because of his Latino mother's fascination with Charlton Heston. He can't hold down a job, and he spends most of his time in a bar with a group of friends who include a slum real-estate broker, a shampoo fetishist, and a small-time pro-wrestler. El Cid is being stalked by a female cop who's been holding a grudge since grade school, and even on his would-be peaceful nocturnal sojourns he's disturbed by the voice of his dead mother. Clearly, life isn't great, but he'd rather die than consider a change of scenery. Director Art Jones has referred to his film as "not a movie, but a movement," although it seems unlikely that many people will start copycatting Going Nomad. It's just not memorable enough. The story is enjoyable nonsense, but the Nomad movement is best left to documentarians if it is real, and needs better fleshing out if not.