This movie is strange and somewhat sappy, but also whimsical and lovely. It is a romantic fantasy with a bit of magic threaded through the scenes, which I found more appealing than it sounds. Much of this is due to the warmth and skill of the starring actors. Irish actor Colin Farrell (known for his role in “Banshees of Inisherin”) portrays David and Australian actress Margot Robbie (last seen in “Barbie”) portrays Sarah, who meet at a wedding. Robbie was also a co-producer of the film, which was released on September 19 and is rated R. The location of the wedding is never specified, although the filming took place in California and Hawaii. The cinematography is visually sweeping and beautiful, adding to the dreamlike imagery.
At the wedding, there seems to be an emotional connection when David and Sarah meet. They leave separately, each carrying baggage from prior relationships and the fear of being hurt again. Both are driving rental cars for their travel to the wedding from the same peculiar rental car agency. Scenes toggle through portals and surreal constructs as David and Sarah are directed on a journey by their rental car GPS, sometimes separately and sometimes together. The set ups in the first several scenes are awkward and confusing, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief and go for the ride you may feel rewarded. The automated directions result in Sarah joining David’s rental car for much of the GPS guided journey after the wedding, which takes them to places other than their respective homes. During this meandering trip, they revisit pivotal past moments for each of them in a truncated version of time travel. This allows for emotional intimacy and support between the two as they travel through these experiences, returning to the present after each such encounter. The best parts of this film involve the themes of emotional trauma and regret, and the ways these events inform and shape present day relationships.
The road to David and Sarah learning about each other while being directed to revisit their pasts is metaphysical in this rendering. As they continue the excursion, layers of their defenses are peeled back and trust becomes a possibility. Whether they can fully surmount their strong patterns of self-protection and flourish in a relationship is an open question throughout most of the movie. Some of the plot transitions between disparate experiences is choppy and uneven. The film is ambitious, perhaps overly so, in mixing metaphors and themes in the plot line. If you prefer tight plotting and are turned off by a considerable amount of sentimentality or time travel, you may want to skip this one. However, if you are a fan of these actors and/or enjoy visually engaging films which speak to universal emotions – you likely will enjoy this creation. Audience reaction has been notably mixed.
The script, written by Seth Reiss, is quirky and at times interesting and charming. With less skilled actors and without the gorgeous cinematography, “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” might fall flat. Director Kogonada, known for creating video essays on cinema as well as directing TV episodes for prestige streaming services before entering feature film directing, combines all the elements and makes this movie mostly work. The messaging around the human experience is inspired and the audience is drawn into caring about the characters and the outcome. The end result has a feel-good component. With the recent spate of film sequels and re-do’s, the originality of the script is refreshing.