Traveller . Austin Chronicle . 10-12-98

Traveller

DIRECTED BY: Jack N. Green

REVIEWED: 10-12-98

Traveller opens with Bokky (Paxton) spraying the driveway of two genial homeowners with "sealant" for a couple hundred bucks. As rain begins to fall, he speeds away, leaving the suckers to watch as their new blacktop, actually just used crankcase oil, dribbles away. The name "Traveller" refers to a cultish, petty-scam organization run by modern day descendants of Irish immigrants living in South Carolina. A "cousin," as they call each other, is born a Traveller, marries a Traveller, and dies a Traveller. Occasionally, such as with the father of Pat O'Hara (Wahlberg), a Traveller marries an outsider and is banished from the group. Upon his father's death, Pat shows up at the camp wanting back in, only to be coolly rebuffed by the group's boss. But when Bokky promises to look after Pat, the two run a series of more or less successful cons until one of their victims (Margulies) catches Bokky's eye. Betraying all his instincts, he returns her money and begins sneaking away for secret rendezvous knowing full well what will happen if he's caught. The film is based on a tired cliché: The outlaw must decide between the testosterone-filled life of a grifter or the tender touch of a woman. However, the chemistry between Paxton and Margulies lends their characters depth and believability. Paxton does a good job of portraying an intelligent but simple man who is probably for the first time confronting questions about his lifestyle. While the story develops slowly, the tension builds as the stakes get higher. Unforeseen plot twists and a furious climax not only reward us for our patience but leave us sitting on the edge of our seats.

--Jason Zech

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Traveller
Traveller

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