‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ is a traumatic, star-driven road trip that runs out of gas

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“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is a visually striking and somewhat whimsical story about overcoming past trauma to build better relationships as an adult. It’s a fairly predictable road trip movie.

Kogonada, known simply as Kogonada (“After Yang”), directs this somewhat uneven but intriguing romantic story, written by Seth Reiss. It follows Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell), who connect at a wedding and share a ride home in a strange rental car. The car’s demanding GPS voice (Jodie Turner-Smith) makes them confront the reasons behind Sarah’s infidelity and David’s emotional distance. As they drive, they encounter magical portals – doors appearing randomly – which take them back to key moments in each other’s pasts, like Sarah’s mother’s death or a painful experience from David’s teenage years. It’s not quite time travel; they can witness the past but can’t alter it. Think of it as a road trip combined with a unique form of therapy, guided by a very opinionated GPS.

It’s fun imagining Ebenezer Scrooge on a Tinder date with his former flames! I also enjoyed seeing Colin Farrell playfully revisit his high school musical days, complete with energetic, slightly awkward dance numbers. Even the convenient plot points – like David renting a car from two suspiciously knowing rental agents (Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge) – worked well. As Waller-Bridge’s character puts it with a bit of an edge, “Sometimes we have to put on a show to find the truth.” And for David, that meant breaking into song with a few numbers from “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Like Kogonada, I think artificiality can actually help reveal truth. However, a story this contrived only works if it’s presented with energy and assurance. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” feels overly sentimental, slow-moving, and so focused on style that it becomes grating. Though the film leans into a futuristic aesthetic, Kogonada’s approach feels overly precious – like someone showing off an antique iPod in a custom-made case. It’s reminiscent of the early 2000s indie film “Garden State,” especially when it uses Bright Eyes’ “First Day of My Life” – a song that quickly became a wedding staple.

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Kogonada first gained recognition by creating video essays that showcased the filmmaking styles of directors like Ozu, Kubrick, and Wes Anderson. Now making his own films, he still retains a somewhat academic approach. His first feature, 2017’s “Columbus,” felt carefully constructed, focusing on a thoughtful connection between a young woman (Haley Lu Richardson) and a melancholy translator (John Cho) as they discussed architecture in a small college town. Even in quiet moments, like a scene with a ticking clock, you’re aware not only of the film’s message about the value of time, but also of Kogonada deliberately demonstrating his directorial choices.

Margot Robbie, normally a lively performer, delivers her lines in a strangely flat and unnatural way, almost as if she’s stuck in an amateur school production. This stiffness is made even more noticeable by heavy makeup and an unconvincing wig. Perhaps the filmmakers intended to show that her character, Sarah, a woman who actively pursues men, uses her looks as a protective shield. However, it feels overdone – especially when her car briefly crashes, and she emerges with perfectly styled hair.

Colin Farrell seems more comfortable in this film, possibly due to his previous work with the director on the 2021 movie “After Yang.” He understands how to ground the film’s somewhat detached style with genuine emotion, especially through quiet moments. For example, during a wedding scene, when David worries he’s losing Sarah’s attention, he watches her dance with another man. His expression is a mix of sadness, longing, and confusion – like a dog looking at a shop full of food he can’t reach.

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I went into this movie already loving Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie, so I was really surprised when they kissed and there was just…nothing. No spark! It wasn’t really their fault, though. The script kept forcing them to talk about their parents instead of, you know, *flirting*. Even Farrell, who I think is fantastic, couldn’t make David’s line – “I *see* you” – sound sincere. It just felt…awkward.

Since being recognized on the 2020 Blacklist, the script has improved in a clever way: David and Sarah now jokingly point out when each other’s lines sound overly practiced, suggesting they’ve been rehearsing their emotional struggles with previous partners. It’s great that the writing acknowledges this awkwardness, and it hints at a future scene where they end up on a double date with their exes.

The most compelling moments happen when the characters interact with their parents. Farrell shines when talking to Hamish Linklater, who plays David’s anxious father, desperate to shield his son. Similarly, Robbie is excellent with Lily Rabe, portraying Sarah’s stressed mother who struggles with her own poor choices in relationships. Because David and Sarah don’t want to worry their parents, they pretend everything is normal, which adds depth and complexity to these scenes.

As a film fan, I just couldn’t get invested because the movie relied too much on this all-knowing GPS to drive the plot – it totally killed any sense of suspense. And honestly, the way the characters connected felt really off. Sharing super heavy, personal trauma on a first date isn’t how you build a connection; it felt like a major warning sign that things were moving way too fast and weren’t going to work.

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2025-09-19 22:01