It feels like it has been a while since a film such as The Lost City has been released on the big screen. While not a franchised film series or a known property, this new release has a huge cast and plays on the rom-com tropes we all know and love. Directed by Aaron and Adam Nee and starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, and Brad Pitt, this is a strong line-up filled with actors who are known to pick fun and interesting projects.
In The Lost City, reclusive romance novelist Loretta (Sandra Bullock) is kidnapped, and it is up to her book cover model Alan (Channing Tatum) to save her as they go on a jungle adventure. It is no surprise that Bullock and Tatum can balance action, humour, and romance to help sell this unbelievable and yet entertaining story. The writing of the characters does feel conventional, but that is something that comes with rom-com films such as The Lost City. It is thanks to the performances that these characters come to life and the unlikely pairing is able to work because of Tatum and Bullock’s chemistry and energy.
The film clocks in at just under two hours, which helps the pacing stay consistent and keeps the time going by quickly. The opening act is slow to begin as the film sets up Loretta’s character and where she is in her life. She certainly is not the most likeable character to begin with as she begrudgingly agrees to do the book tour for her latest release, not wanting to be in front of the audience and not even caring about her book series anymore. However, Bullock’s performance and the writing help to establish her character throughout, and it is great to see Loretta go on a journey that she does end up caring about by the end.
While it is primarily a fun rom-com, The Lost City is also an action-adventure film set in the jungle. This is what ends up making this film different from other rom-coms while having a lot of fun with the production design and narrative. The action and surprises may be simple for the genre, but the blending of genres works well. The film is also filled with other great performances and cameos that help elevate the humour. While many other reviews will focus on Brad Pitt’s wonderful yet small appearance, it is also worth shouting out Oscar Nuñez who manages to steal every scene he appears in.
Is this going to be the best film that comes out all year? No, it won’t be. But that does not matter with a film like The Lost City. It is nice to once again see that 2022 is the year of the rom-com and this film is another one that nails the genre and presents itself to the audience as a fun time at the movies. Make sure to grab a couple of mates, buy a couple of drinks at the bar, and go and have a good time.
The Lost City is out in UK cinemas on Friday 15 April.
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Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Oscar Nuñez
Runtime: 112 minutes
Country: USA
