Movie Review: The Lost City Is Found In Romance & Laughter
In the same way. J.LO returned to her old, romantic ways via Marry Me, Sandra Bullock has returned to hers via The Lost City. Both women were definitive to rom-coms in the 2000s. Jennifer providing that gooey hope people love to bite into when it comes to believing that life will route you to your one. Meanwhile, Sandra always did the rom-coms with self-deprecating humor; charming as the woman confident enough to believe in her power and intelligence, but aloof to how much the man right next her wants to love her for them. The Lost City brings on the typical, Sandra Bullock romantic tale, and, frankly, I fell in love with it.
Bullock plays Loretta Sage; a romantic novelist that has had over 20 successful books keeping women very happy with their male fantasies. A once illustrious anthropologists she wonders how life turned from her looking for ancient relics with her professor husband to become the reason women over their 30s dream of going to an ancient, Mayan temple with a guy that looks like Fabio (Channing Tatum as Alan). Bullock always shines at playing doubt and arrogance as one in the same, and oddly natural, but not detrimental to someone’s strength. Loretta is smart, but she is bitter, especially after being widowed, and now she wants to toss away everything, but Alan cannot have that!
Tatum is SO GOOD at Alan, in part, because he understands the art of a “male damsel.” There is a strange notion that a “male damsel” is to be seen but not heard: disappearing behind the strength of a dominating woman, and only showing a personality when she needs an ego boost. That perspective, unsurprisingly, highlights how, for so long, women have been “damseled” in films; only showing emotional strength when their male lead is running low on hi own. Directed by Aaron Nee and written by Adam Nee, both understand that, in a male and female dynamic, does not have to be about “weaker or stronger.” Instead, it can be about two people connecting, and building each other to see how more they are capable of if they just let someone else believe in them. Tatum does that perfectly with Alan; making him the sweetest, goofiest guy to genuinely try and do his best to protect and support the woman he is crushing on: Loretta.
Honestly, I was surprised by how hilarious The Lost City was, and how much I would recommend it as a rom-com for theaters. With big explosions and action sequences, and hilarious features from Daniel Radcliffe as the villainous Fairfax and Brad Pitt as a bounty hunter named Jack, the movie soars by beautifully etching in funny characters, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Beth, while assuring the focus is always on Loretta and Alan. Tatum and Bullock have wonderful chemistry, and I could see them as leads, together, for a billion films. Truly! They felt so natural together that you, genuinely, believed they fell madly in love in the span of 90 minutes while being chased, kidnapped, and entombed in an ancient city. Overall, this film has the charisma to make you believe the city of love is one to be found. The Lost City comes out in theaters on March 25.
