Seasoned travelers possessing a healthy dose of caution and self-preservation will have a hard time with this film’s first act, during which the story’s three young American college graduates foolishly abandon carefully established plans in favor of hooking up with random hunky guys.
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| Despite postponing her return to New York by two weeks, to work on her deepening relationship with Jack (KJ Apa), Heather (Madelyn Cline) cannot get him to be entirely candid about himself. |
Heather (Madelyn Cline) is the meticulous organizer: keeper of the itinerary, and the de facto mother hen who ensures they make all their necessary connections. Connie (Sofia Wylie) is laid back and goes with the flow. Amy (Madison Thompson), reeling from a recent break-up, is a reckless idiot who forever runs late.
One does wonder how they’ve managed to remain friends, as they approach the final few days of a European vacation that began in Amsterdam and — when we meet them — concludes with a few days in Barcelona.
Their dynamic undoubtedly is better established in Joseph Monniger’s 2017 novel, upon which this film is based; the Leslie Bohem/Vera Herbert screenplay gets off to a rushed and clumsy start. (In fairness, the trio’s strong bond is depicted better, as the story proceeds.)
Even so, the early meet-cute between Heather and Jack (KJ Apa) is genuinely sweet, during an overnight train to Barcelona, as they bond over identical copies of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.
Texas-born Heather has organized this gal-pal getaway before she begins a banking career in New York City. She takes comfort in plans and predictability, likely in response to having been abandoned by her mother when 10 years old.
Jack charms his way into their group, bringing good friend Raef (Orlando Norman) into the mix; the latter clicks with Connie. An eye-rollingly lunatic misadventure follows, after which the story settles into its anticipated focus on Heather and Jack. He’s following in the footsteps of a European tour journal meticulously written and illustrated by his long-gone great-grandfather Russell, who embraced a free-spirited existence after barely surviving his World War II service.
That’s a captivating notion, and director Lasse Hallström frequently blends the live action with glimpses of Russell’s sketches, and narrated passages from the journal.
Jack emulates his great-grandfather’s come-what-may approach to each day, resisting Heather’s initially surprised — and soon probing — questions about his refusal to think about the future. He prefers “being present” in each moment. His affable smile and laid-back charisma notwithstanding, Jack is evasive to the point of unease.
He’s obviously a man with A Secret, and it’s blindingly easy to deduce what that is; Herbert and Bohem’s script drops early clues.
Blindingly obvious to everybody except Heather, though, who remains oblivious throughout what follows ... which, frankly, makes her quite dense.
It’s also hard to accept her quick acquiescence to Jack’s impulsive suggestion — after they’ve been together for just 48 hours — that she abandon her plans for two weeks in New York, getting ready for her new life, in favor of larking about Europe with him.
Once over that hump, however, Hallström’s film becomes a swooningly romantic travelogue with stops at cities in Portugal, Italy and Spain; and visits dominated by breathtaking architectural structures such as Antoni Gaudi’s Park Güell, the Salvador Dalí House Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, the Livaria Lello and many, many more. All are given dramatic heft by cinematographer Elías M. Félix, who also grants ample exposure to each city’s enchanting atmosphere and gorgeous vistas.
Cline and Apa are attractive young actors, easy on the eyes, and Hallström does his best to distract us from the obvious dark cloud hovering over these events. This is, after all, the director who gave us classics such as My Life As a Dog, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat and The Cider House Rules. He knows how to manipulate our emotions.
Ultimately, though, Cline isn’t enough of an actress to make us truly believe Heather’s decisions, words and behavior, from one moment to the next. She relies too frequently on a quietly wounded pout, and Hallström lets her get away with it. (Cline also needed much better coaching, during one scene, on how to persuasively pretend to play a guitar.)
Wylie’s Connie is bubbly, kind and sympathetic: an often calming influence, particularly with respect to Amy. As the latter, Thompson initially gets on our nerves, but she becomes more likable after settling down. Even so, we know absolutely nothing about either woman’s background, and that’s annoying.
After initially appearing solely as an image during phone calls, Josh Lucas gets some screen time in the third act, as Heather’s amazingly patient, thoughtful and non-judgmental Texas-based father, Greg. Actually, he’s too good to be true: worked hard since age 16, ultimately raised his daughter as a single parent, and somehow made enough money to put her through college.
Lucas puts considerable heart into his side of a crucial father/daughter conversation, but — by this point — the story’s contrivance has become a serious problem.
The film concludes by completely removing itself from real-world concerns, sliding instead into a “live for the moment” fantasy that most viewers will find both unsatisfying and ridiculous.
Sorry, Lasse; I expect better of you.
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