A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Kogonada
Stars: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kevin Kilne, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hamish Linklater, Billy Magnusson, Shelby Simmons, Yuvi Hecht.
David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah (Margot Robbie) are two lonely strangers who meet at a wedding and find a brief connection before going their own way. But thanks to a chatty and overly friendly GPS system (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) the pair are guided on a deeply personal odyssey that takes them on the titular journey to address regrets from their past before they can move on with their lives and trust that they are suited to be with one another. Sarah has a tendency to flee from any sort of commitment while David is full of unresolved emotional baggage.
The GPS system guides them to a series of magical doors located n the middle of nowhere, which they pass through. The doors transport them back to some key events in their past which have shaped their sense of emotional detachment and reluctance to become personally involved with others.
For David the door leads him back to high school and an embarrassing moment of heartbreak and vulnerability during a production of the musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. For Sarah the door leads her to confront her guilt over having abandoned her dying mother (Lily Rabe) so that she died alone in hospital.
This ambitious, surreal but uninvolving romantic fantasy come road journey comes across like a cross between Sliding Doors and About Time but it is not particularly insightful though. The film is ultimately a triumph of style over substance. There is even some blatant product placement from Burger King that grates.
The film has been written by Seth Reiss (The Menu, etc) and deals with themes of grief, loss, regrets, fate, second chances, disappointments and the pursuit of happiness. But some of the dialogue is heavy handed and delivered in dry fashion. The film has been stylishly directed by Korean born filmmaker Kogonada (After Yang, etc) who is known for his tranquil and meditative style and he gives the material a wistful quality.
Both Robbie and Farrell are charismatic performers but here there is little chemistry between the pair; Farrell, who sports a three-day growth throughout, seems unusually restrained here, and both he and Robbie deliver performances that seem stilted, and both look a little uncomfortable. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (of Fleabag fame) and Kevin Kline bring some touches of mischievous humour to the material through their roles as a pair of eccentric sales representatives at one of the strangest car rental companies ever created.
Nonetheless this is a gorgeous looking production, thanks in part to the cinematography from regular collaborator Benjamin Loeb who gives us some gorgeous magical realism and stunning imagery. There is also some stylish production design from Katie Byron and a stirring score from Joe Hisaishi.
But this is one big and rather dull journey best avoided.
★★☆
