The Drifter (I) (2009) User Reviews

Best surf movie in a long time

[nandomaron · 19 January 2010]

It's suspect to call The Drifter(2009,Taylor Steele)a surf movie,it's more about pro-surfer Rob Machado's personal experiences,than surfing itself.

We fallow Rob in a travel to Indonesia,seeking for inner peace,answers and of course surfing.Tired of his public life,Rob decides to disappear and live like a homeless,just camping on desert spots and surfing on non crowded beaches.

The movie describes really good the relationship between man and nature,Rob narrates his feelings and discoveries,and see himself more and more into the wild life,totally isolated from civilization,just surfing and writing.

The surfing scenes won't disappoint the surfers viewers, beautiful scenes were shots,while Machado shows awesome performances in nice tube riding sessions.

With a little bit of George Greenough's 'Crystal Voyager' inspiration, The Drifter seems like 'Into The Wild mixed with surfing.

A little masterpiece,sometimes melancholic,with lovely light comedy scenes,and first class soul surfing. Deserves to be on the same league of 'Endless Summer and Riding Giants, and can be appreciated by not only Rob or Surf fans.

Discontinuity Abroad

[spitt1 · 4/10 · 30 May 2010]

While I would like to say this was a great movie, it wasn't. The movie would continually jump in with have and have not items and scenes.

Many times we see Rob traversing the countryside, talking to us, telling us of far away lands and places he's been, and yet we can tell at all times that there is a film crew with him. It could almost have been a documentary, if not for the fact that we can tell he's trying to act.

In one scene he's helping to build a well with shovels, and in another a town that has no money, has a professionally made well.

Another scene we see him traversing the countryside with a knapsack and surfboard, then suddenly he has a tent.

We are to believe that he is out there alone... and yet for days/weeks at a time, he goes without food. Only surfing, writing, and reading. Never do we see him fish (he doesn't carry a fishing pole).

Never do we see him carrying a guitar, and then suddenly, as if by magic, he has one.

The phone... it's 2009, and Rob has a crappy cell phone? Not likely, nor realistic. I have a cheap phone, but that one was cheaper then mine. They only had a $5 budget, for 5 phone scenes, which lasted at least 3 minutes of a 53 minute movie?

The surf scenes were good. They weren't great, they weren't all encompassing scenes which should captivate the watcher. He rides tubes, left to right, a few tricks, nothing too special. We don't get pulled into the scene and made to believe this is something of beauty, instead it's plain.

The scenery itself, that was breathtaking. They choose some great locations, off the beaten path.

For all the breathtaking beauty of the world, a poorly executed story, mars this could be film.

Faux "Drifter"

[piersurfer32 · 4/10 · 15 April 2011]

4 out of 10 for the scenery. The waves weren't epic, but the cliché Indo waves that break for a couple hundred yards, ones we've seen time & again. We're expected to believe Machado takes off through Indo in the style of actual surf-nomads, but as one reviewer said, unbelievable. His board bag is only large enough for one board, never looks stuffed to the seams to me, but magically Machado switches boards 3/4 of the way through the movie, has a tent throughout, a reappearing guitar, etc. The primitive villagers who "have nothing", seem to have some pretty new shovels & well pump equipment. All in all, I'd call it surf-fiction. It tries to convey a feeling we all have, to just get away from life and do our own thing, the method of doing so is an issue for me.

Driftin' is Right!

[spookyrat1 · 5/10 · 19 February 2020]

Pretty disappointing I have to say. Rob Machado strikes me as being a pretty interesting type of character, but this almost hour long film, doesn't reveal much about him at all, except he's a tremendously talented surfer, which we all knew anyway.

There are some great surfing sequences, but most seemed slightly out of focus. I can see crisper, cleaner images any day on any site. Just disappointing to see Rob ripping some extra nice Desert Point, but not in total focus,

His overlaying narration of the film I hate to say is pretty dull. Yes, Indonesia, doesn't feel like California and after awhile he thinks he needs to move on, to the next spot, but so what? You'd really find out more about him through any serious sort of interview in a magazine or on any decent surfing website.

The Drifter is not a bad title, because story and camera wise, things seem to drift all over the place. I know Taylor Steele the director came on board late to the project, but even he seems unable to have been able to fashion anything really memorable from the material and set-up he was given.

Great scenery, shots and music, no substance.

[mikolajm · 4/10 · 19 May 2011]

The 4 stars are mainly for the nice shots in the movie, the great scenery and the music.

There is however no real substance, in fact I'd argue the movie would have been better without any dialogue as it's really shallow and distracts from the strong points.

This is definitely not Into the Wild mixed with a surf movie as another review suggested as the main character doesn't venture off the beaten path, nor has a likable personality or otherwise higher ulterior motive to his travels. He is rude and disrespectful to locals, which could be understandable but the manner in which it is done shows he has no real interest in them or shame in being rude. Rather then coming across as a weary, experienced traveler bored with the same question he comes across as a spoiled and blase surfer.