It feels like it’s been the longest time since we’ve had a movie like this. A romantic comedy with adventure and depth and some fantastic actors taking centre stage.
Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is a frustrated, bored and uninspired author who is burnt out with the release of her latest title in a long line of romance novels. Her frustration is further induced by the public admiration for cover model, Alan (Channing Tatum) who appears to get all the credit for her work.
The start of her new book tour takes an unexpected turn when Loretta is kidnapped by rich kid, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) who is in search of some good old buried treasure that she has written about. I really enjoyed the aspect of the hidden city and the trail of clues which set Loretta on a journey of self discovery.
Bullock and Tatum are a complete pleasure to watch on screen together. They have some fantastic chemistry which really draws you in. Sandra Bullock has given some brilliant performances in some very serious roles recently, but I have to say it was refreshing to see her give something more lighthearted and have some fun again. Channing Tatum is just so loveable as and Alan. He looks the beefy, all action model and doesn’t seem to be the most intelligent of people either, but there is a lot more to him. I enjoyed seeing some of his dance moves again too.
Da’Vine Joy Randolf, Oscar Nuñez and Patti Harrison add even more fun and frolics to the movie in supporting roles and Brad Pitt especially, is such a highlight! Daniel Radcliffe is interesting as the villainous Abigail. There were a few lines from him which, with the right delivery, would have been really, really funny. I’m not sure if it’s because the angrier he was becoming the more I could hear him shouting expecto patronum, but he just didn’t seem as engaging as other characters.
Does the movie always make sense? No. Loretta and Alan managing to climb a cliff that would test even the best rock climber is proof of this, but it’s silly amounts of enjoyment and they all seem to know this.
Verdict
The Lost City isn’t going to insight any life changing moments for it’s viewers and may fall into the trap of being bashed for being formulaic. Sometimes movies just need to be fun and this is exactly that. Totally reminiscent of Romancing The Stone, it’s an easy watch movie which would be easily enjoyed over and over again. The infectious chemistry between Sandra Bullock & Channing Tatum elevate the breezy but often predictable rom-com action-adventure capers.
