The Lost City (2022)
A- (90%)
Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe Synopsis: A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure. Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance MPAA Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 1 hr 52 min Release Date: March 25, 2022 I must confess, in an entertainment world over saturated with superhero films, remakes, reboots, and sequels, sometimes it's just refreshing to go out and see a movie that manages to not check any of those boxes.
I'm talking about the kind of movie that is unabashedly silly, yet supremely fun and entertaining. You know, the kind of movie that's simply an escape from the world for 2 hours. Remember those? Enter The Lost City, a romantic action-adventure comedy that, while certainly not the most original film out there, manages to succeed in its modest ambitions of being purely fun, escapist entertainment. Sandra Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a romance-adventure author whose husband died just a few years back and is living the reclusive lifestyle. After being coerced into doing a book tour with Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), a cover model for whom her fictional character Dash McMahon is based on, she finds herself kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) who's determined to find a mysterious treasure that he believes Loretta knows the whereabouts to. While the story itself is fine (albeit familiar), the film is anchored by a stellar cast that are clearly enjoying every moment in their roles. Sandra Bullock still has her comedic acting chops in full form, Channing Tatum (who I personally have loved seeing in comedic roles since She's the Man) is back in form from his Jump Street days, and Brad Pitt, though he doesn't get a ton of screen time, is an absolute scene stealer, with his macho persona and long, luscious hair that he whips about in action sequences. Surprisingly, Bullock and Tatum also have palpable chemistry, despite a 16-year age difference. While Bullock plays the straight woman just trying to survive this ordeal and get back to her reclusive life, an enamored Tatum is trying to prove his manliness and capability of living up to his supremely talented, heroic character in her novels. While it may be predictable, each character has growth, and there's even some emotional depth here as both characters have inner needs that can possibly be solved through each other. Regarding other characters, Daniel Radcliffe plays a silly, one dimensional, albeit humorous antagonist solely focused on finding the "Crown of Fire." Just like the rest of the cast, Radcliffe revels in the role, and this is one of the rare instances where a cliched villain fits into the story and simply works because it contributes to the film's overall lighthearted tone and atmosphere. Lastly, Oscar Nunez (who played Oscar in "The Office") also has a minor comedic role that consistently delivers hilarious one liners. The Lost City, a silly, over the top romantic adventure, knows exactly what it is and wholeheartedly embraces it. That, coupled with a strong cast with great chemistry amongst them, is ultimately why it succeeds. A huge bonus here is also the fact that this film was shot on location in the Dominican Republic, and it shows. You don't get that studio look that is increasingly present in these kinds of movies. Most of the story is set on an island, and you feel like you're on the island, with wide, beautifully sweeping aerials and lush jungle scenes. In the end, the film won't go down as a classic by any means, but it's not forgettable either, and there's something to be said for films that are a joy to watch and experience, and The Lost City is exactly one of those movies. Written by Anthony Watkins, April 3, 2022 |