Some films are as precious as their titles.
“Napoleon Dynamite” comes to mind. So does “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Add “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” to that short list. The eclectic romance takes big, bold risks, aided by A-listers eager for an unconventional tale.
The result? A visually dazzling affair that balances quirk and raw sentiment. It’s twee at times, but its heart is always in the right place.
Yeah, that matters.
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell play Sarah and David, attractive singletons who meet at a wedding. Right away, there’s something un-Rom-Com-y about their exchange. It’s like they were meant to meet and somehow knew each other from the jump.
That’s part of screenwriter Seth Reiss’s plan. He wants to upend expectations, deconstructing a now-tired formula to get to the heart of the matter.
Almost literally.
Sarah and David embark on a series of adventures, all ending with some sort of doorway or portal. Each deposits them back into a pivotal moment in their lives.
Lost loved ones are suddenly very much alive. Old flames return to rekindle old romances … perhaps.
Confused? “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” takes a challenging format and makes it surprisingly accessible, almost organic at times. It asks us some big, bold questions, along the way (sorry, we’ll drop that now…)
- Why do we fall in love?
- How do past relationships shape our future selves?
- Can we recover from trauma?
- Why would anyone risk falling in love when, chances are, it’ll end in heartbreak?
Robbie’s Sarah is a love ’em and leave ’em cynic who knows her flaws all too well. David is more optimistic, but his past includes breakups that left psychological scars.
Sounds brutal, right?
This “Journey” isn’t as crushing as it appears. Reiss’ script is replete with humorous asides, from nods to the characters’ awkward past to the masterminds behind the curious plot.
That’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline playing car rental employees who do more than push aging Saturns and old-school GPS systems. Both add a dash of humor and fantasy to the yarn, even if the film doesn’t fully exploit them.
Why hire ringers and leave them wallowing on the bench?
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“Journey” could use a trim or two, and a few detours prove depressingly bland. Robbie and Farrell flash second-tier chemistry, at best, but not for lack of hustle. The story’s quirks ensure they don’t share enough quality time to sell their attraction.
They still make the best of it, leaning back on movie star wattage.
Director Kogonada (“After Yang”) sports a puckish eye for color and composition, meaning there isn’t a dull visual in the film. The soundtrack boasts a steady drumbeat of quasi-hippie anthems that snuggle up to the material in question.
Not a bad choice for a post-screening nightcap.
The third act doesn’t exactly seal the romantic deal, a problem for this sort of story. That doesn’t overshadow the film’s winning details and original flair. There’s nothing quite like it in the marketplace, and its ambitions are more than welcome in our cookie-cutter age.
“Journey” comes closer to affairs of the heart than most modern rom-coms.
Hit or Miss: “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” deconstructs the movie romance and, in the process, explores just how tangled a “Happily Ever After” ending can be.