Review: 'Janapar - Love on a Bike', Starring Tom Allen

There are a lot of journey and destination movies out there. A lot of them are fiction, several are not. Most recently filling in this journey category is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. And as much as that film's message is clear and semi-empowering, Janapar - Love on a Bike is somehow more fulfilling a movie as it follows the real-life journey of Tom Allen and spans several countries and three years worth of footage from the trip. It's inspirational, intriguing, and contemplative. Allen sets himself up and follows through on a film that's just as fulfilling as the cycling tour he takes. 

Tom Allen is a 23-year-old university graduate who works in computers and isn't necessarily unhappy with his life. But, as much as he's content with the way he's living, there's a feeling that something's missing and gone unfulfilled. So, on a whim, he quits his job, buys a touring bicycle, and sets off with two of his friends on a biking tour in hopes to see the world and go on an adventure. 

While Tom eventually finds himself cycling alone, he finds himself crossing through Europe into Africa and the Middle East. He cycles through countries like Georgia, Sudan, Djibouti, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, and Iran among several others. Tom finds it difficult sometimes, alone, and a lot of times in the middle of nowhere and not knowing what's going to happen to him next, but he recognizes that the risk is worth taking because in his adventure is a sense of freedom and the realization of a dream he didn't know he had. 

When Tom reaches Armenia and meets Tenny, an Iranian-Armenian, they have an instant connection and he spends two weeks there with her. After he leaves, his journey changes and he heads back to her, takes a break from his cycling to live six months in Armenia freelancing and spending time with Tenny. And while they cycle for a couple of weeks together, he comes to the realization that although he wants to be with her, he also wants to fulfill his dream and see his cycling tour through to the end even if it's a dream they might not share together. 

Tom Allen's likable and he and Tenny are endearing. We feel the deep confusion, the uncertainty, along with the joy and exhilaration throughout that Tom feels. The nomadic lifestyle and people he meets are all a part of the greater experience of watching the film. There are moments of freedom, of humor, of tension. The landscapes are breathtaking and while the cycling lifestyle is not something everyone can go through, you still want to be a part of it somehow, even if it's only through Tom's eyes. 

There's nothing really melodramatic about the film either. Tom's very straightforward with what's happening and although things don't always go his way, the film never prolongs any drama just for the sake of drama. In that sense, the film is very real and raw and spans several years and hiccups in the road, but Tom's journey always prevails, as does the film along with it. 

The movie isn't just a love story, although that adds a layer to the documentary, but it's an exploration of life's choices, taking risks in order to do what you really want to do and not just what society has in store for you. Tom Allen takes us on the journey with him as we go from country to country, watch him fall into an unexpected love, and still be determined enough not to drop everything he wants for himself to settle. The film is almost empowering and hopeful in a sense that makes you feel that you can do the same thing and follow your dreams and goals if you're willing to take a leap and chance.