Combining a romance with magical realism can be tricky. Sometimes the fantasy elements support the emotional beats of the story, and sometimes the premise is too surreal to be effective. Viewers will accept a lot while watching a movie. However, the story has to have internal coherence. That’s where A Big Bold Beautiful Journey goes wrong. Talented actors can’t disguise the script’s flaws.
David (Colin Farrell) arranges to rent a car to drive to a wedding from an agency that is decidedly strange. At the wedding, he meets Sarah (Margot Robbie). They are attracted to each other (or at least that’s what we’re supposed to think). They don’t act on it, though, and David drives home. That’s when things get truly bizarre. The GPS in David’s car asks him if he’s ready to go on a big, bold, beautiful journey, then it directs him to stop at a fast-food restaurant where Sarah needs a ride. Their way back home becomes a series of stops where they travel through doorways into their pasts. David and Sarah both relive certain moments that teach them about themselves and what they want from each other.
The emotional impact of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is blunted by the underwhelming execution of the story. The romance doesn’t engage the viewer because there isn’t a lot of chemistry between the actors. And the visuals are lacking the scope that would elevate the premise.
MORE: Take a look at our thoughts about the trailer for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey!
“Life is better when you’re open.”
The first obvious misstep with this film is an uneven tone. When David goes to pick up his car at the agency, the “cashier” (that’s the only name she gets) who interacts with him speaks in a campy way. This is at odds with the sincerity the filmmakers were going for with the dramatic and romantic scenes. Even with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is usually an engaging performer, playing the character, the way the cashier is presented just leaves you scratching your head. There is also a “mechanic” at the car rental agency. The great Kevin Kline plays this character, and he’s woefully underused, barely showing up in a few brief scenes.
The next flaw to show itself in this film is the inconsistent characterizations. David is introduced on the phone with his parents, saying he likes being alone. The writing doesn’t support this later. In his first lengthy conversation with Sarah, he talks about wanting to get married and be a father. One of the past experiences he relives is a brutal rejection in high school as well. He also revisits the end of his most recent relationship, which ended when HE broke up with HER. Dwelling on these things is not compatible with what he told his parents in the opening scene.
This unconvincing scripting permeated other areas, too. Sarah mentions marriage between her and David mere minutes after speaking to him for the first time. Excuse me, what??? Then she spends almost the entire rest of the film insisting that she never wants to have a serious relationship and that they will only hurt each other. This doesn’t feel authentic to life and doesn’t make Sarah relatable.
MORE: Interested in another upcoming film starring Colin Farrell? Read our review of Ballad of a Small Player!
“It’s funny how the most beautiful places make you feel the most alone.”
These imperfections in the screenplay don’t help to lessen the weirdness of the central premise. With better execution, this plot could work, but director Kogonada and writer Seth Reiss don’t explore the conflicts with enough depth. Stories, especially romances, with fantasy elements have been done better before. Whether they started as books like One Hundred Years of Solitude and Like Water for Chocolate, or were just well-written films like 1946’s A Matter of Life and Death and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Those films grounded the strange details with genuine emotional impact or artistic expression. This movie can’t say the same.
Besides a better script, the imagery here leaves a lot to be desired. There is a pretension to the visuals that’s hard to shake. It feels like Kogonada thought that a lot of rain and umbrellas or a door sitting in the middle of a forest were more profound than they actually are. When you’re asking the viewer to suspend disbelief for the plot, providing stunning production values can help make the story pay off. I wish that had happened here. No matter how hard Kogonada tried for variety, there are only so many ways to present shots of a car driving down a road. This is the area where it feels like the most possibility was missed.
As for the romance, Farrell and Robbie are obviously photogenic people and award-nominated actors, but the chemistry between them isn’t strong enough to sustain this film. You are glad the characters end up together. With a story like this, though, you should feel almost desperate for them to have their happy ending. Especially after all the past sadness the plot dredges up for them. That makes A Big Bold Beautiful Journey a bit of a letdown.
2 ½ stars out of 5
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is now playing in theaters.
