Culture 3 min read By Morgan Griffin
‘Borges and Me’ Review: Gentle, Nostalgic Literary Road Movie Is More Perky Than Poetic
A review of the film adaptation of Jay Parini’s 2020 memoir about a 1970s road trip through the Scottish Highlands with Jorge Luis Borges.
Jay Parini’s 2020 memoir «Borges and Me: An Encounter» has been adapted into a film, and the result is a gentle, nostalgic literary road movie that leans more toward the perky than the poetic. The story, which any writer would dine out on for a lifetime, recounts how Parini, then a college student in the 1970s, found himself partnered with the legendary Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges on a winding trip through the Scottish Highlands.
The film captures the unlikely pairing of a young, restless American student and the elderly, blind literary giant. Their journey is filled with the kind of awkward encounters, cultural clashes, and quiet moments of connection that define the best road-trip narratives. The Scottish landscape serves as a picturesque backdrop, adding a layer of visual charm that complements the film’s nostalgic tone.
While the film is charming and often entertaining, it stops short of capturing the deeper poetic resonance of the memoir. The relationship between Parini and Borges is rendered with warmth, but the film’s lighter approach sometimes undersells the intellectual and emotional weight of their encounter. The result is a movie that is pleasant to watch but may leave viewers wanting more of the profound reflection that the source material suggests.
The performances are solid, with the actors bringing a believable chemistry to the screen. Parini’s youthful enthusiasm and Borges’s world-weary wisdom create a dynamic that keeps the film engaging, even when the pacing lags. The dialogue, drawn from the memoir, offers moments of wit and insight, though the film occasionally struggles to translate the interiority of the written word into cinematic language.
For fans of the memoir, the film will likely be a satisfying adaptation that honors the spirit of the original story. For newcomers, it serves as an accessible introduction to a fascinating chapter in literary history. The film’s gentle humor and scenic beauty make it an easy watch, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of its source material’s emotional depth.
Ultimately, «Borges and Me» is a pleasant, if not essential, addition to the canon of literary adaptations. It succeeds as a tribute to an unlikely friendship and a bygone era of travel, but it leaves the more profound questions of art, aging, and legacy largely unexplored. It is a film that will appeal to those who appreciate the charm of a well-told anecdote, even when the poetry remains just out of reach.
