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.
