By Beatriz Garay
“The Lost City” starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum is a new romantic comedy that lacks comedic elements.
The film has good comedy, but there could have been more. This is where its comedic element lacks. There’s good comedy throughout the film that is entertaining and funny, but then it goes silent and boring.Throughout the silent parts, there could have been a funny line or two. Instead, there was plain, boring dialogue between the two main characters that could have been saved if they just added subtle pieces of comedy but, it was just plain silence. There isn’t anything new these two actors have done before in their previous romantic comedy films.
During the silent parts, the audience noticeably lost focus or interest in the film. One simple but effective joke in these moments could have helped the audience be more aware of the story-line and made it even more entertaining. Either one of the main performers could have delivered an extra joke or two, as each one had a unique position within the film. Even if both actors tried hard enough, they would have saved a lot of the film in which the audience would have been more engaged to see the entire film from the beginning to the end.
For Bullock’s comeback to romantic comedy films, this is not anything new. With years of experience in this genre, her performance shows little to no change. She has played the boss, the uptight person and the person who doesn’t let anyone in her life easily until she is comfortable with them. Even though it has been used tirelessly and a lot of people do enjoy this type of acting, it feels like there could have been more change to it. This film is very much typical of a Sandra-Bullock-romance-comedy type and audiences can expect to see similar acting to her previous projects.
While Bullock’s effort in the film is moderate, it is also her fellow co-star Tatum that misses his mark in elevating himself and the genre by reeling in a newer, younger audience. He has been featured in a number of romantic comedies as the good-looking, goofy young guy, who has real feelings for the girl. It is the same for this film as well. There are no changes or developments when it comes to this type of genre. As with some of Tatum’s work, it feels like he is not putting enough effort in portraying his characters well enough for audiences to really fall in love with his performance. While he can be seen as a journeyman with numerous films in his resume, he is still someone who has not reached his full potential to stand out over other performers. This film can be considered another loveable Channing Tatum movie as it shows his ability to make viewers believe in love again and see where love can lead viewers in life.
Although the film does primarily focus on both stars, it does provide more comedic elements from the supporting performers by giving them more entertaining moments such as clever jokes and one-liners that gets the audience to laugh til they get water in their eyes. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays the book manager, provides the relatable but comedic feeling that people in real life deal with and must do whatever it takes to make everything work to survive. It can be said as well for Brad Pitt. His character gets more of the comedic elements with little effort as he uses clever acting and stunts to empathize the quirkiness of his character and as a result, the audience find him more appealing than the main stars.
There are films such as this one that really makes viewers think about who are the real stars of the movie. It makes us root for the “little person” of the film and want to see more of them. It is time to revitalize the rom-com genre so that the newer generation can enjoy what their predecessors enjoyed when it first came out.