“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” follows single strangers Sarah and David, who get to relive important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present.
The winner for the most pretentious movie of the year goes to? A movie that is neither big nor bold. It’s not even much of a journey. Directed by Kogonada, the film aims for emotional resonance but collapses under its own self-importance.
Star Power With Limits
Margot Robbie (Sarah) and Colin Farrell (David) are the only reason “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” manages to be even somewhat watchable. Robbie brings her charismatic energy to the screen, with Farrell having more subtle swagger. While their romantic chemistry is never off the charts, it is serviceable. The two actors elevate flat material into something occasionally engaging, though the script gives them little to build upon.
“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” relies on this starpower way too much. The movie has a laughably chaotic script, that really has no reason to exist at all. It tries to sell itself as profound but often feels like a collection of half-baked ideas stitched together.
Right from the start, the film puts viewers into this fantastical world – that doesn’t feel all that fantasy-like. The characters meet in the most cliché way possible, yet are immediately forced into a connection that feels exactly that… forced.
An Aimless Journey
“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is made up of moments… literally. It only tries to get from point A to point B, with little to nothing of interest in between. This montage of memories doesn’t warrant the 109-minute runtime. The movie constantly drags because of this, even further alienating the audience from the onscreen romance. Scenes blur together without rhythm or purpose, leaving viewers with nothing to latch onto.
In spurts, the film manages to provide laughs. Its self-referential style of humor begins to grow old at a certain point, however, as the movie never cares to explain the reasoning or lore behind this abstract world. You’re expected to go on this journey with the characters — no questions asked.
“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” lives up to one word of its title — beautiful. It is a visual feast, capitalizing on all of the different settings and landscapes. That doesn’t excuse its lack of substance, however.
There’s something to be said about a movie that just misses the mark in its execution. This film doesn’t miss the mark — there’s ultimately no mark to even reach in the first place. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is a movie that found an intriguing premise, and had no idea what to do with it. Because of this, it’s messy, nonsensical and most of all… boring. The cinematography deserves praise, but gorgeous shots alone cannot carry a hollow narrative.
Beauty Without Heart
Exploring all stages of life, the film wastes an opportunity to have a grand score. Growing up is a journey of its own, but these big moments never feel that way because “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is filled with silence. The lack of a strong musical identity drains momentum from scenes that should have soared.
As the film nears its end, it is able to succeed in exploring what it means to love. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” offers meaningful insight into enjoying the little moments and being content. While the journey itself is rough, the conclusion is finally able to inject just a miniscule amount of substance that sticks. Unfortunately, it comes too late to redeem the meandering path that precedes it.
“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” only lives up to one word in its title. It’s not big, nor bold… nor a coherent journey. It’s a mashup of pieces that are never able to come together. Robbie and Farrell bring starpower, but even they can’t save this lifeless mess of a movie.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
