The Lost City Reviews

Directors Aaron and Adam Nee (Band of Robbers) take a screenplay by Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat) and Dana Fox (Cruella) to present The Lost City. The script and comedy contained in it are uneven, but the film is still worth a watch - especially for fans of 80s adventure-comedy movies.Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is the world-famous author of the Dr. Angela Lovemore adventure romance novels. But she is tired of writing them, having spent the last five years pining over the death of her archaeologist husband. When her agent Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) insists that she tour to promote her book - and do it with Alan (Channing Tatum), the famous cover model for the Dash character in her books, Loretta drops a bombshell. The current book, The Lost City of the D, will be the last. But this changes when Loretta becomes overwhelmed at the first appearance, and she bolts from the room. Thinking she is getting into the car she called, Loretta instead finds herself kidnapped by insane billionaire Leslie Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes she holds the key to a genuine lost city.The Nee brothers' direction is good, but the inconsistent script makes for some difficult moments. Some jokes fall flat or try too hard to be funny. Despite this, there is some genuine originality to the concept, if not the tale's progression. Also, the natural talent of the cast, especially Bullock and Tatum, make up for the shortfalls. This isn't to discount any of the other players. Every scene with Randolph and Oscar Nuñez as the amorous but conciliatory Oscar is comedy gold. This is not so true with Patti Harrison's Allison. It is no reflection on the actress, but the character is unnecessary and annoying at best. Radcliffe demonstrates his skill in an outstanding performance as the madman rich kid who thinks the world revolves around him.The settings and camerawork are breathtaking, almost to the point that it seems like, in a positive way, a promotional film for an exotic vacation. As with most romantic comedies, the song selections can make or break the movie. Fortunately, the choices were spot on, ranging from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to Funkadelic, with sprinklings of exceptional Latin selections keeping the pace and setting the mood.The Lost City is entertaining and fun, reminiscent of Romancing the Stone. The script is imperfect, but hidden in there is a gem that most comedies don't have - the lesson that when we stop dwelling on what is lost, it is amazing what we might find instead.