The Lost City

The Lost City is the third film co-written (with Oren Uziel, Dana Fox) and directed by brothers Aaron and Adam Nee after The Last Romantic (2006) and Band of Robbers (2015). Moving from independent cinema to their first Hollywood production, the Nee brothers easily win our support finding intact the great breath of the adventure films of the 80s and 90s. When discovering The Lost City, it is impossible not to think of Robert Zemeckis' film Romancing the Stone (1984). A real invitation to live a great adventure full of danger and carried by a duo forced to collaborate together and to rediscover each other far from the clichés that this mismatched couple conveys. 

The reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is a popular author and recluse since the death of her friend. Spending her days alone in her apartment and trying to find personal balance, her editor Beth Hatten (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) wants her to end her isolation and go on a tour to promote her new novel. Each of the novels features adventurer Dash McMahon (portrayed by fashion model Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum). As part of the tour, Beth Hatten wants Alan Caprison and Loretta Sage to be in harmony to satisfy the expectations of the many readers of her novels. However, things will take a very particular turn when Loretta Sage will be kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) who thinks that she could lead him to a fabulous treasure of a lost city on a remote island of the Atlantic. This kidnapping will lead Alan Caprison to go and rescue Loretta at the same time as an adventurer Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) will also be hired to free this writer adored by the public.  An adventure full of twists and turns will make Loretta and Alan learn from each other but also realize that together they can do great things.

The Nee brothers understood that to give life to a good adventure film capable of holding the breath of the spectators, it is necessary to propose a film certainly perfectly calibrated but also held by an attractive casting and it is necessary to recognize that the trio Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe is a true winning association. Sandra Bullock is once again excellent and brings to the film her irresistible charm and is as much at ease in comic scenes as in action scenes. Channing Tatum has already proven that he is perfectly at ease in action films such as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2012), White House Down (2013) but also in comedies like 21 Jump Street (2012). By breaking his image here of man of action by playing a model man who seeks to find his place, his duet with Sandra Bullock works wonderfully. Finally, Daniel Radcliffe has not ceased to break his image related to his interpretation of the popular character of Harry Potter. He seems to be trying to diversify his roles as much as possible and thus builds a really interesting cinematographic career by wanting to escape from made-to-measure and often repetitive roles.

It's a risky bet to propose an old-fashioned adventure movie not only based on a succession of calibrated action scenes but rather on a duo of actors able to win the audience's attention. Sandra Bullock is once again perfect in her role as a novelist unable to really live great adventures and preferring to stay behind her computer to write adventures worthy of those of Indiana Jones. While watching The Lost City, one often has the impression of being in front of a film influenced by Romancing the Stone (1984), if only for its various chases in the middle of the jungle, but also as a tribute to some of Steven Spielberg's mainstream films.  The directors Aaron Nee and Adam Nee are not only inspired by many adventure films, they also bring their piece to the building of these very entertaining films and add a good dose of humor allowing the spectators to spend an excellent moment in front of a film that has no other vocation than to entertain and remind us that life is a great adventure that we have to devour to the full. 

The Lost City
Directed by Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Screenplay by Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Story by Seth Gordon
Produced by Sandra Bullock, Liza Chasin, Seth Gordon
Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt
Cinematography : Jonathan Sela
Edited by Craig Alpert
Music by Pinar Toprak
Production companies : Fortis Films, 3dot Productions, Exhibit A
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates : March 12, 2022 (SXSW), March 25, 2022 (United States), April 20, 2022 (France)
Running time : 120 minutes

Seen on April 20, 2022 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 9 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: