Two-Lane Blacktop

Got this merely because it has the only starring roles of James Taylor and Dennis Wilson. This one is breezy with nothing much of consequence happening, I enjoyed it but I can't say I was rivetted for the whole duration of the movie.

The central theme is mostly the transitory situation of the main characters, with the most transient being "The Girl". Almost verite-like and possessing an unusual gravitas for scenes which do not demand such, it is a close cousin of "Badlands", another of my favourites.
I guess if you strip "Easy Rider" of all its subtext about the counter-culture and straight people, you'd end up with this - a story mostly about motion. I had wished the drag races were more exciting but it fits the movie.

My fave character is G.T.O., breaking up his ennui of motion by picking up more transients and fabricating rich lies about how he acquired the Pontiac 455. Wilson is just playing himself, a cool, relaxed dude content with watching life pass. Taylor however has that steely gaze and looks incredibly intense, which is out of place with the atmosphere of the movie, but still a wonder to watch.

The conclusion is highly satisfying, even if there's no conclusion. I mean the characters have been moving and are still moving at the end. I enjoyed this a whole lot. 3 and 1/2 stars out of five.