Old-style romantic comedies live or die on the basis of three essential ingredients:
• Stars with charisma and chemistry;
• A premise that’s either fresh or, if familiar, has some sort of novel twist; and
• Dialogue that sparkles with wit, flirty banter and just enough — but not too much — snark.
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| David (George Clooney, left) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) may look cheerful, as they arrive in Bali and see their daughter waiting on the beach, but their ulterior motives are far from noble. |
Director Ol Parker’s Ticket to Paradise manages about 1.5 out of three, with bonus points for location-location-location.
George Clooney and Julia Roberts obviously have charisma to burn, and they’ve demonstrated delightfully flirty chemistry in earlier films such as Ocean’s Eleven. But this story — co-written by Parker and Daniel Pipski — finds them indulging far too long in spiteful bickering and bad behavior, to the detriment of a sweet parallel plot element that becomes far more endearing than anything involving our two stars.
David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) married 25 years ago, enjoyed five years of wedded bliss, then divorced and have spent the past two decades sniping at each other from opposite ends of the country … much to the dismay of daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever), who has tried hard not to pick sides.
As the film begins, David and Georgia reluctantly re-unite — as briefly as possible — in order to celebrate Lily’s graduation from college, where she has worked hard toward an anticipated career as a lawyer. By way of reward and emotional release, Lily and BFF Wren (Billie Lourd) take off for a sun, sand and — in Wren’s case — soused vacation in Bali.
Slightly more than a month later, David and George receive a bombshell email: Lily has decided to abandon her law school plans, remain in Bali, and marry the just-met love of her life … a seaweed farmer named Gede (Maxime Bouttier).
Determined to prevent their daughter from making the same mistake they made a quarter-century ago, David and George reluctantly team up in order to make Lily come to her senses, by sabotaging the wedding.
A few problems here.
We’ve already watched Lily and Gede “meet cute,” and — even though she falls for him improbably quickly — Dever and Bouttier are totally endearing together. A match made in heaven. We also can’t help being charmed by a subsequent sequence when Gede explains his long-held family profession to Lily; he’s far more savvy entrepreneur than “mere seaweed farmer.”
Watching David and Georgia burst into this dazzlingly romantic scene, like bulls in a china shop, is wincingly painful.
It’s blindingly obvious, by now, where all of this is heading. The execution hearkens all the way back to I-hate-you-but-not-really screwball comedies such as 1937’s The Awful Truth and 1940’s The Philadelphia Story. (According to the press notes, the filmmakers definitely intended to create a modern version of such films.)
But the bickering in those earlier classics was more comedic than mean-spirited: a crucial distinction. David and Georgia spend so much time wreaking havoc, and squabbling with each other, that we honestly don’t care if they reunite.
On top of which, their behavior — in the face of the warmth and kindness shown by Gede’s massively extended family — becomes even worse by comparison. The nadir is hit when David and Georgia make a little girl cry. There’s no coming back from that moment.
Agung Pindha is hilarious in the understated role as Gede’s savvy father, whose twinkling, mordant asides — often spoken in Balinese — are much funnier than anything said by Clooney or Roberts. Pindha also served as this film’s cultural consultant, ensuring that every elaborate element of the young couple’s impending wedding is accurate.
Indeed, the colorful, multi-day build-up is fascinating, with sculptures, decorations, rituals and foods served during the traditional babi guling feast. Lily and Gede are radiant throughout.
(That said, one of the final customs Gede must endure, makes a bris look appealing.)
Lucas Bravo has an enjoyable role as Paul, Georgia’s younger boyfriend: an airline pilot with a disarming tendency to pop up unexpectedly. Bravo is far better than Clooney or Roberts, when it comes to blending sincerity with comic relief; his funniest moments come during the aftermath of an ill-advised visit to a cursed temple.
Although Lourd’s Wren initially seems little more than a party-hardy gal pal, she’s actually a fiercely loyal and dedicated best friend who has known and loved Lily since childhood. Lourd’s best scene comes late one night, when she listens attentively and asks the right questions, after catching David in a confessional mood.
This also is Clooney’s finest moment: a reminder that he is a capable actor. David’s candor, regret and resignation look and sound authentic; we sympathize with him (if only briefly) and share his grief for what was lost.
The beach settings, Balinese homes — and even the opulent hotel where Georgia and David wind up in adjoining rooms — are stunningly beautiful; it’s almost too much to take in. (Alas, Covid restrictions forced Australia to stand in for Bali, during most of the shoot.)
On a trivial note, it’s rather odd that — after nearly two months constantly spent wearing next to nothing in this sun-dappled paradise — Lily and Wren aren’t the slightest bit tanned.
More crucially, when we reach the preordained conclusion … we don’t believe it. Too quick, too pat, too contrived.
Not the desired note on which to sending the viewing audience home.
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