The minimalist road trip movie, "Crystal Fairy," stars Michael Cera as a controlling American named Jamie, who leads a free spirit named Crystal (Gaby Hoffman) and three brothers into the Chilean wilderness in search of a mescaline-filled cactus.

Improvised from an outline and shot on a handheld camera during 12 days, Sebastián Silva's flick has a freewheeling feel that's rare for a movie starring a significant movie star.

It subverts the classic drug movie form, resisting the easy lure of hallucinogenic humor for a sincere story about people trying to escape their rocky pasts.

Hoffman is the revelation here, infusing her character's over-the-top persona with palpable sadness. It's a masterful balancing act.

Still, "Crystal Fairy" is meandering, a slim movie that drifts toward its conclusion without much urgency.

Renovation of John and Alice Coltrane's Dix Hills home ... Schaffer wins reelection as Suffolk Dem chair ... Plays of the week in high school sports Credit: Newsday

Newsday/Siena poll: Blakeman within single digits of Hochul ... Surging LI home heating costs ... Winds pick up as nor'easter nears ... Renovation of John and Alice Coltrane's Dix Hills home

Renovation of John and Alice Coltrane's Dix Hills home ... Schaffer wins reelection as Suffolk Dem chair ... Plays of the week in high school sports Credit: Newsday

Newsday/Siena poll: Blakeman within single digits of Hochul ... Surging LI home heating costs ... Winds pick up as nor'easter nears ... Renovation of John and Alice Coltrane's Dix Hills home

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