‘The Lost City’ hopelessly romantic

There’s nothing like a good romance film.

Two would-be-lovers without any reason to care for one another discover there could be something there that wasn’t there before. In the case of The Lost City, self-proclaimed sapio-sexual and writer’s-block-addled author, Loretta Sage, played by Sandra Bullock, has nothing but disdain for the muscle-bound cover model Alan, played by Channing Tatum, who graces the outside of Loretta’s several romance novels.

Since becoming a widow, Loretta can’t seem to find her spark, and it’s starting to affect her work. She decides to hang up her typewriter, making Alan jobless in the process. Despite his protests, she sticks to her resolve, but it’s not enough to deter Daniel Radcliffe’s Abigail Fairfax, a wealthy mogul on the hunt for the ancient treasure mentioned in Loretta’s latest novel. As Loretta denies his request for her assistance, he decides to kidnap her, and it’s up to the beauty without brains Alan to rescue her.

With a lesser cast, the film would likely be a slog to get through. Yet the leads of Tatum and Bullock are so good as their one note characters that it elevates their less-than-stellar material. That said, the film is far from poorly written. Most of the jokes land well, and the film develops its humour and plot along with its characters. As you become more endeared to the roles, the film flexes ever so slightly, putting its hero and heroine into more daring situations, to great rewards.

As far as compelling though, as soon as he appears on screen Daniel Radcliffe takes the film by the reins and never lets go. He’s eccentric and exceedingly wealthy, with a hilariously polite mean streak. Whenever the film cuts away from him you’re eager for his character to return. Especially since not all of the movie’s plotlines are rife with humour. The Lost City is a fun adventure romance, but it’s not always a laugh riot.

As far as the adventure goes, you won’t be blamed for losing the thread of the plot a few times. At the end of the day, it’s not exactly the draw for The Lost City. The humour of these city slickers stuck in the jungle is played to great lengths, and the cast plays each of their roles with perfection, making even the lamest material have some entertainment value. In my viewing of the film, the audience was made up entirely of couples, leaving with smiles on their faces. In a world where films are frequently franchise fodder, The Lost City is a welcome reprieve for the hopeless romantics out there.

Rating: Half Price