The Lost City Review

Treasure hunting, comedy, romance, and adventure seem like a recipe for a cinematic breakthrough, and, indeed, Paramount pictures have had struck Gold in this movie. The Lost City has an entertaining script that is made funnier with flawless casting. Bullock plays a familiar vain woman, and in the film, she exactly what she asks for, both in men, and adventure. It’s stimulating to see Brad Pitt and co-star Tatum play into their physical images, playing into the audience while showing that the ”ideal man” has the same vulnerabilities and insecurities as everyone else.

Reclusive romance novelist Lorreta Sage (Sandra Bullock) writes about fascinating places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour marketing her new book with Alan (Channing Tatum), Lorreta is kidnaped by a freakish billionaire who hopes she can lead him to an ancient city’s lost treasure from her latest story. Dedicated to proving he can be a hero in real life and not only on the pages of her books, Alan sets off to rescue her.

While the spotlighted stars are the film’s focus, a tremendous addition to The Lost City is Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta’s publisher, Beth. She could have just been your regular rom-com asset, but Randolph offers a different take of the best friend in spectacular fashion, offering a well-rounded character who serves as the problem solver. She goes to the end of the world for the people she loves.

It is crucial to note that The Lost City is both a rom-com and action/adventure movie about being the author of your own story, and the idea that life is sweeter after learning from your challenges. Most of the violence in the movie is typical expensive action fare, but there is a lot of peril and even a rather gruesome scenario that seems to have been added for shock value. Bullock’s character writes explicit novels, so you should expect obscene language and innuendo and some clever suggestive writing. Most of the characters are depicted as unbalanced or corrupt, but the supporting character Beth is a brilliant role model.

The Lost City is super quotable, hilarious, and has a rock-solid cast. It evokes a sense of movie stars embracing their charismatic personas. It’s conventional and relatively predictable, but a thrilling performance uplifted by Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s oddly good chemistry as a romantic pairing. Most of the humor is in the first half of the movie, while the second part is more sentimental. In the end, The Lost City is sets the bar for rom-coms right now. It is a good old-fashioned outrageous love story that works for what it is.