Kogonada’s ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Review: Whimsy Bomb
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the provided text, focusing on key information and a summary of the review:
1. Story/Film Details:
* Title: A Big Bold Gorgeous Journey
* Release Date: Friday, September 19
* Cast: Colin Farrell, Margot robbie, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kevin Kline
* Director: Kogonada (referred to as “Faint” in one instance, likely a typo)
* Screenwriter: Seth Reiss
* Rating: R
* Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
2. Review Summary:
This is a highly negative review. The author finds the film to be:
* Cloying and Whimsical: The film relies on “twee devices” and feels overly sentimental.
* Artificial/Phony: The reviewer questions the authenticity of the setting and the emotions portrayed, suggesting it feels like a simulation (“Holodeck of the starship Enterprise”).
* Schmaltzy and Simplistic: It’s described as “plasticky schmaltz” and likened to inspirational Instagram content.
* Superficial: The film’s exploration of emotional themes (regret, grief, fear of commitment) is described as “puddle-deep.”
* Disappointing: The pairing of a respected indie director (Kogonada) with potentially strong material is seen as a wasted opportunity.
* Visually Overdone: The saturated colors are noted, but not in a positive way – they contribute to the film’s artificiality.
3. Key Quotes & Phrases:
* “A magical mystery tour, with greeting-card sentiment.” (Bottom Line summary)
* “cloying act of whimsy”
* “plasticky schmaltz”
* “Rupi Kaur meets Dallas Clayton by way of a claritin ad.” (A vivid comparison illustrating the film’s tone)
* “so phony is everything contained within it.”
* “puddle-deep ponderings”
4. Structure & Style:
* The text begins with the film’s title and basic information presented in a structured format (like a movie listing).
* The review itself is written in a critical and somewhat sarcastic tone.
* The author uses strong imagery and comparisons to convey their negative opinion.
* There are references to other films by the director (Columbus, After yang) to establish context.
* The review is broken into paragraphs for readability.
In essence, the reviewer believes A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a visually appealing but ultimately empty and contrived film that fails to live up to its potential.