REVIEW: The Lost City Is Anything But Lost When It Comes To A Fun Romantic Comedy
When Paramount announced a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe, I immediately said, “Sign me up for this strange casting”, and I was definitely glad that I signed up and you will be, too.
The Lost City kicks off with romance novelist, Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), hiding inside her home after the death of her archeologist husband. Desperate to get Sage out of the house and back in the public’s eye, her publicist (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) sends her on a book tour to promote her most recent novel. What Sage didn’t plan for was the novel’s cover model, Alan (Channing Tatum) coming along for the ride.
Sage wants nothing to do with him, believing him to be a egotistical simpleton. Just when she thinks things couldn’t get worse, she is kidnapped in the middle of the tour by an attention seeking billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe). Fairfax believes Sage is the key to finding the Lost City, a mysterious city allegedly home to a crown he desperately wants. After learning of the kidnapping, and determined to prove he is more than just a cover model, Alan makes it his mission to rescue Sage and bring her back home.
Directed by Aaron Nee and Adam Nee and written by Seth Gordon, The Lost City is one of those romantic comedies that strikes the perfect balance between love and laughter. Neither genre overtakes the other and the film’s comedic and love moments never feel forced. This is due to Gordon’s entertaining and well-paced script. The story starts off at an easy clip that utilizes the best talents of the actors and allows them the freedom to bring the laughs and garner a reaction from the audience. The story also doesn’t require the viewer to think too much and with the events of the past two years, zoning out with a fun romantic comedy for a little less than two hours might just be what audiences need.
Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock were the perfect comedic pair for this film. Individually, the two are funny and charming, but together their chemistry is something I didn’t know I needed to see onscreen. Daniel Radcliffe plays a superb villain and has such great comedic timing in this film. Viewers will definitely be able to tell that he had a lot of fun bringing his character to life.
Is The Lost City a cinematic masterpiece? No, it is not, but it shouldn’t be. The Lost City is everything it’s supposed to be and more. A good romantic comedy that utilizes its actors’ best qualities while not taking itself too seriously all wrapped up in an entertaining ride of a film.
Grade: B+