'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' Review: A Big Bold Misfire
Romance stories are a dime a dozen, but Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey dares to be different. However, despite the star power of its two considerably talented stars, this unconventional love story fails to leave a mark.
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ centers on two strangers named David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah (Margot Robbie) who have a fateful meeting at a wedding and then proceed to go on an unpredictable and unbelievable journey that causes both of them to confront their pasts in order to improve their present. Oh, and they may or may not fall for one another along the way. Joining Farrell and Robbie in this impressive cast is Phoebe Waller Bridge, Kevin Kline, Billy Magnussen, and Lily Rabe. Unfortunately, this cast is wasted on a romance film that tries far too hard to be different and forgets to be emotionally engaging in the process.
Farrell and Robbie are two of the most talented and versatile actors working today and their skills are showcased wonderfully in the film. Both are able to bring their A-game as their respective characters face memories from their past they would much prefer to be buried in the recesses of time. As both characters slowly bring down their cold, fortified walls, Farrell and Robbie are able to convey a vulnerability that is extremely compelling. The supporting cast is clearly game for the material as well, especially Kline and Waller Bridge who play members of a “car rental agency” that both David and Sarah utilize in the film. While their material could certainly be better, both actors are able to bring a playful and lively presence that the film sorely needs.
This is also a handsomely made film, the production design, costume choices, and overall visual aesthetic managing to be wholly immersive and enveloping. These thoughtful choices help elevate what could’ve been extremely by-the-numbers direction and storytelling. The film also has a handful of effectively warm and tender scenes that not only help flesh out the respective pasts of both David and Sarah, but help inform their apathetic and defensive nature toward love and relationships in general in the present. While the film certainly could’ve used more of these scenes, they still do some needed heavy lifting when it comes to emotional engagement.
Unfortunately, there is a significant amount of issues that plague this romance story and prevent it from being the crowd-pleaser it easily could’ve been. First and foremost, though they give wonderful individual performances, Farrell and Robbie’s chemistry is lackluster at best. To say sparks weren’t flying would be an understatement, the pairing of the two proving to be far more awkward than fiery. As a result, their love story, which is a crucial element of the film, fails to ignite. For the majority of the runtime, the two are nearly insufferably dour and cynical, which makes them an increasingly difficult couple to root for. If the love story fails, the romance film fails, plain and simple.
Making matters worse is the bold swings the film takes creatively in order to tell its story and showcase the journey David and Sarah go on together. While experimentation is welcomed when it comes to stories audiences have seen time and time again such as the one told here, the swings the film takes result in befuddling whiffs, registering far more as empty, self indulgent gimmicks that draw too much attention to themselves rather than compelling narrative flourishes. Writer Seth Reiss, who penned the superb dark comedy The Menu, delivers a script that is too cynical and abstract for its own good. Not only that, but this is a film with notable tonal dissonance, unable to decide whether it wants to be a surreal, experimental romance film akin to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Her, two films its heavily inspired by, or a more straightforward and conventional one that wears its heart earnestly on its sleeve. The film’s inability to pick a lane results in a frustrating experience that may leave general audiences cold, especially those who have seen any of the marketing materials that sell a wildly different film than the one they are going to see.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey had all the right ingredients in order to make an emotionally satisfying and highly enjoyable romance film, sporting a terrific cast and production value to boot. However, this cinematic meal is an overcooked and bloated misfire that keeps the audience at a distance instead of letting them in like it should. This is a film that is incredibly pretty on the outside, but ice cold to the touch beneath the surface.