IR Film Review: THE LOST CITY [Paramount]

The influx of a romantic comedy is playing to irony and perhaps playing issue to that which came before it. "The Lost City" has its moments and knows what it is doing because of its star Sandra Bullock. Even though we haven't seen her as much onscreen lately in this type of movie, the comedienne extraordinaire has not lost her touch. She still plays the awkward bird who becomes a beauty but in this "Romancing The Stone" throwback/clone, she plays with expectations while still delivering what the audiences want. In casting Channing Tatum as a cover model who she doesn't like it does set up a classic structure. While she has recently said Tatum and her met at a pre-school because their daughters got in a fight, the more intrinsic connection per se is likely Steven Soderbergh which also explains getting Brad Pitt in the movie. Bullock can make any scene sing since because of her timing she knows comedy intrinsically since she can also do drama well without being too tongue-in-cheek, She can shift from smarmy into heartfelt in an instant. What is interesting is that when her and Pitt are on screen, especially at one specific point, it is smoldering. It would be interesting to see what a full movie with them could be like. But despite this, this is not that movie which is kind of funny too.

Tatum has his moments and the whole point is that his character is a certain thing versus what Pitt is (and that is the drum crash). While Tatum doesn't have as much charisma as Pitt (because let's face it who does -- perhaps that Clooney guy), but that is sort of the point and why the casting works so great. The background of the story involves Bullock's Loretta being kidnapped and taken to an island by the film's villain played by Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe relishes the role but it is interesting because he has to walk the line even as he is playing the baddie it seems (though as an actor, it is clear he would and could go alot farther). The key again here is that the film is PG-13 and is trying to hook that broad audience of both parents and kids, grandparents and grandkids. It is very smart without being overly obvious. Bullock as a producer has always had good instincts. She also picked the directors in Aaron & Adam Nee who also have good instincts, can handle the picture but also not overwhelm it. The marketplace needs this type of film now because they are rarely made for theaters anymore: a romp with a little bit of heart that young people really haven't seen in a theater and that older people recognize. And in that way with all the participants knowing the strengths they can bring, amping them at the right level but not making it looked forced, it works like a charm. B

By Tim Wassberg