That was quite underwhelming.
Two lonely hearts at a wedding are brought together by a mysterious car rental agency. Together they go through a life-affirming journey and perhaps see different sides of themselves.
Directed by Kogonada, and starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, the film makes us ask the question: what is a movie title? Honestly, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a title that irrationally annoys me. It very much reminds me of when someone leads into telling a joke saying: “I have a great joke to tell you”. It is only going to end in failure. I would say this is neither big nor bold, or even especially beautiful.
The story follows David (Colin Farrell) as he is due to arrive at a wedding but finds his car impounded. Conveniently enough, right next to his car is an advert for a Car Rental Agency. Adorned with only a telephone number and a broken heart emoticon. Printed on a bit of paper. Pressed for time, David goes and after a weird interview, he is on his way.
At the wedding, he meets Margot Robbie’s character Sarah. The two seem to get along, but nothing happens. Inexplicably, the GPS in David’s car starts ushering him into meeting Sarah again… and starting a “big, bold, beautiful journey.”
Okay, so coming straight out of the gate swinging. Maybe some positives first.
It is always, always nice to see original screenplays like these. Despite the horrible title, there was something alluring about the trailer and the concept. Magical doors that transport you somewhere else; the chance for interesting visuals and fantastic scenarios. Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are good actors and I’m always happy to see them perform. Into the third act, the film starts to become a bit more intriguing.
Sadly that’s all I got.
This Big Bold Beautiful Journey is like Dickens’s Christmas Carol, only lacking significantly in emotional stakes. Our characters are put on a journey to understand each other and also confront their own emotional fears and baggage. Baggage that has turned them into closed-off, emotionally-stunted individuals. Unfortunately, while Scrooge was an archetypal character and his arc was very clear, David and Sarah are both unreliable narrators. They both lie and they both withhold information. This makes it very hard to empathize with them as people early doors. The first two acts are just flat. Will they, won’t they? Who cares if they do or not?
The fantastical element is sorely lacking, and prone to nit-picking. These fantastic places they are transported to include: an art gallery after hours; a café; a school. They briefly observe the Earth from space… which is about as heady as the visuals get, but it is a lone aberration and not a proof of concept. Not to mention that all of this whimsy is driven (pun intended) by a coercive GPS device. How magical.
Which brings up the next point: time and place. I had no idea what time period we were supposed to be in. The magic doors compound the situation, as they seem to send David and Sarah back in time? This has the structure of each of them getting a door, with it showing some past event related to them. In these other time periods, the two appear to be their contextual ages while in that space. Except when David goes with Sarah to a hospital scenario, to find his father visiting during his infant son’s troubles at birth. Wait… so… Shouldn’t David be a new-born baby? Also how did they go through one door together and experience drastically different time periods? Unless Sarah is like 30 years older than David. None of the other doors function like this and it just led to further questions.
I suppose if you were less cynical than me, you might find more to love here. But I am a sentimental individual, and I should be feeling something here, yet there was nothing. The screenplay felt more like a cliff notes version of any romantic drama. As for “bold”, the movie’s story simply didn’t feel unique enough to be bold. I would argue that the forceful pairing of two independents into marriage is quite traditional. The opposite of a bold story about relationships.
Before Sunrise, by Richard Linklater springs to mind. While it doesn’t have any “magical” surrealistic ideas, it is by far and away a more compelling and emotional journey between two strangers than this. Being previously credited in creating a video essay on Linklater’s work, Kogonada was clearly inspired. Failing that, it has similar vibes to this year’s The Life of Chuck. Which was also better.
I don’t like condemning movies so badly. The movie does have some fleeting moments; a couple of nice comedic beats, some good introspection at times. But it all felt so saccharine to me; unaffecting and definitely not living up to its name. Go and watch Before Sunrise instead. You’ll thank me (Link)later.
