Movie Review

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey does everything a romantic movie should

Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.

Photo by Matt Kennedy

Romantic movies can come in many different shapes and sizes, from cheesy straight-to-streaming throwaway trifles to grand, sweeping Oscar-worthy dramas. And because there have been so many romances/rom-coms made, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd and depict a relationship that doesn’t feel the same as all of those that came before.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey does just that by emulating films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and It’s a Wonderful Life. David (Colin Farrell) is thrust into an unexpected adventure when he rents a car from a strange company called, simply, The Car Rental Company, to travel to a friend’s wedding. Once there, he is introduced to Sarah (Margot Robbie), with whom he has an instant-if-tenuous connection, with both living in the same city. A flirty-yet-honest conversation follows as they detail why two good-looking people of their ages are still single; short answer: They’re each their own worst enemy.

A seemingly sentient GPS system in their matching Saturn cars soon forces them together and convinces them to go on “a big bold beautiful journey.” Instead of some nice sightseeing, the two are taken to a series of doors found in various peculiar locations, most of which lead to memories from their past. The universe seems to want them to be together, but neither of them can get out of their own way.

Directed by Kogonada and written by Seth Reiss, the film is designed to be an arrow aimed directly at the hearts of cynics. And while there are sure to be those disaffected by its charms, it does everything a great romantic movie should. The two lead characters have each spent years sabotaging other relationships, something that convinces them - and the audience - that this unusual set of circumstances is exactly the antidote to their romantic troubles.

But the scenes from their respective pasts that they visit are about more than just trying to figure out what went wrong with past boyfriends/girlfriends. They are an exploration into the people and events that shaped their lives, and also a way to provide exposition to the audience in a way that seems natural despite the unnatural settings. Many romantic films have dialogue that feels stilted, but the upfront nature of both characters makes them come off as authentic.

Kogonada and Reiss also treat the film less seriously than you might expect. The film features a number of comedic moments and characters, starting with car rental employees played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline. Their strange, funny, and profane banter sets the tone for what to expect from the film as a whole. David and Sarah are fully aware of the off-the-wall nature of the journey they’re on, and this knowledge keeps the film from tipping too much in the art film direction.

While it takes a bit of suspension of disbelief to think that people who look like Farrell and Robbie would still be hunting for a partner, each of the Oscar-nominated actors has the chops to sell even an idea as far-fetched as that. They also, more importantly, have great chemistry together, setting up each stage of the romance in almost the perfect way. Waller-Bridge, Kline, Hamish Linklater, and Lily Rabe also do well in key supporting parts.

For those willing to give themselves over to a slightly bizarre romance, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a film that hits all the right marks. Effective romances are in short supply in recent years, and one that works as well as this should be embraced despite its odd trappings.

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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey opens in theaters on September 19.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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