Directed By Ol Parker

Starring – George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever

The Plot – A divorced couple (Clooney, Roberts) that teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter (Dever) from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material and strong adult language

Ticket to Paradise | Official Trailer [HD] – YouTube

POSITIVES

Good chemistry can overcome a lot in a traditional narrative, and it does here with the energetic dynamic between Clooney and Roberts permeating a seamless connection that is not only very easy to invest in, but also the oiled engine that drives much of the gags in material. The jokes and various punchlines are effective for a couple of hearty chuckles, but nothing that I would consider exceptionally special towards transcending their romantic comedy familiarity. Yet the magic between the longtime friends in their sixth collective effort together, on and off-screen, elicits warmth in ways that solidifies a rich believability for their respective turns, all the while carving out for each of them what I truly feel is their best performances over the last decade. This is a strange claim to say in a film that is anything but similar to the prestigious work they’ve each acclimated during some important Oscar darlings, but it’s clear that Clooney and Roberts are having the time of their lives in these characters and on-screen together, while giving all of their energy and devotion to fleshing out this budding rivalry that is established firmly from the film’s opening sequence, before transitioning to the breathtaking Australia-turned-Bali scenery that decorates Ole Bratt Birkeland’s (Not kidding on that name) cinematography. This is possibly the other reason why they’re each invigorating to the experience, as the many exotic backdrops convey a rich essence of escapism to the imagery that directly contradicts the bickering dispute between its dual protagonists, yet magnetizes the seduction factor of the island that many couples have fallen victim to. Finally, the 98-minute run time for the film feels perfect not only for the depth that the storytelling includes, but also to the attention span of the audience only seeking a feel-good narrative. As previously conveyed, the plot materializes quickly, then consistently evolves in ways that appraise value to every scene and accommodating sequence, shying away from surprises, sure, but maintaining the urgency in consistency none the less that at the very least never loses your interest in unraveling the rivalry between two people who lost their love along the way. The script explores this idea with two sides to the story that slightly obscure the factual truth somewhere in the middle, but one that when conjoined does attain clarity

NEGATIVES

The obvious hinderance here is that this script is far too predictable, with nothing in the way of slight deviation or accidental surprise to anyone that has ever seen even five of these films before. After watching the detailed trailer, I illustrated an outline in my mind to how I thought this film would go, and to my benefit and simultaneous disappointment got every single direction correct in my assumption. This might not be a problem to some who like a safe and comfortable experience in their films, but when so many of the film’s genres already rub together in ways that make a majority of them forgettable, another to the pile keeps it from challenging inspiration and breaking convention, grounding the execution in a derivative froth that it never attempts to sip through. In addition to this, I felt the film’s hearty moments didn’t quite register as effectively as intended when held in the balance of some wacky and logic-suppressing gags in contrast. Because much of this film is so dependent on the latter of the romantic comedy subgenre labeling, when it transitions to maturity, the intention not only doesn’t feel fully justified, but the dramatic depth feels virtually unappealing when compared to the magnetism from these polar opposites continuously at odds, leading to an uneven entertainment factor between the film’s halves that prove its best moments are behind it. Besides this, though “Ticket to Paradise” is clearly Clooney and Roberts’ vehicle, I do wish more time was spent on the youthful couple in tow for their weekend of matrimony. Considering the plot revolves around their forthcoming wedding, the ambiguity between Dever and on-screen beau Maxime Bouttier is tragic, requiring us to suppress our own internal urges that this whole this is a gigantic mistake for each of them, and one whose argument is built on the lack of established connection or time devoted to their sudden, springing love.

OVERALL
Though euphoria isn’t quite attained in the mileage of the destination, “Ticket to Paradise” is a sweetly charming and visually alluring romantic comedy steered by two delightful lead performances, with enough chemistry and corresponding baggage to occupy an entire aircraft. It’s a predictably telegraphed story on autopilot, but one that is perfectly serviceable in wasting away a rainy day inside, and for Clooney and Roberts their sixth film as co-pilots.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-