A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is one of those films where you’re constantly waiting for some smattering of energy and plot connections which would make the journey (pun intended) worth it, but this moment never comes. Seeing as it was directed by indie darling Kogonada (After Yang, Columbus), the only thing worthwhile here is the visual component. My goodness, this thing is made as painterly as possible, with stunning use of color, patterns, and framing. Visually, it is a beautiful (no pun intended) work of art. However, it suffers painfully for not having been written by its brilliant director. I would say Seth Reiss’ script leaves something to be desired, but that would imply that it gave us more than the bare minimum in the first place.
This film is the textbook definition of what is meant by the phrase “elevating the material.” Kogonada and stars Colin Farrell (a Kogonada veteran) and Margot Robbie are getting a real workout here, lifting this bare-bones script across the finish line in just-slightly-above-average form. Sadly, for as pretty as its stars and cinematography are (kudos to director of photography Benjamin Loeb), it consistently comes across mawkish and mushy.
It’s worth noting that the film tries to rise above that mawkishness in its very premise. It’s an abstract romance that brings its lovers together via an almost Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy-eqsue fantasy car rental service. Unbeknownst to each other, David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie) each receive the same car from this agency to attend a wedding: 1990s Saturns with similarly Hitchhiker’s Guide-esque GPS attachments. After their first encounter at the wedding, David and Sarah spot each other at a Burger King which their respective GPS systems have ordered them to stop at in order to start “a big, bold, beautiful journey” (the GPS’s words).
All of this in the first act comes off quite charming, but that’s only because we’re not aware at that point that it’s all the movie really has. The simmering couple take David’s car and, as instructed by the GPS, encounter a series of freestanding doors which lead to scenes from their respective pasts. These are entertaining enough, but with very little deeper connective tissue to either of their stories, even that fun bit of conceptual fantasy ends up feeling rather trite. And don’t get me started on how the film’s soundtrack is so overcooked with little ballads and recognizable pop hits. That kind of post-production choice can really ruin the mood, even in already half-baked scenes.
In the end, Journey feels like almost any other romantic comedy or drama, just with these abstractions and great visuals sort of grafted onto it. I love After Yang, Kogonada’s previous film; that was my favorite film of that year. I would encourage anyone to watch After Yang if they haven’t already. It encompasses so much about the human condition which Journey seems desperate but unable to say. Journey might be best enjoyed at home due to its flimsiness, but even that statement, like everything else about the film, wastes the visual brilliance Kogonada brings to the big screen. Hollywood so rarely finances these kinds of sweet-hearted movies with such big swings anymore that it’s a real shame when they’re so much less than the sum of their parts. | George Napper
