A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

A very Good film. Good performances by Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie. The lines, and the unpredictability of it, make it good. Every twist and turn with the characters, make it interesting. Maybe too long in some parts, which could lead the spectator feel a little bit of boredom or just "get on with it". But still, Colin Farell and Margot Robbie make a good pair in this dramatic romance. It doesn't leave you disappointed. At least I wasn't.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a visually striking and introspective film that, for better or worse, lives up to the contemplative style of director Kogonada. The movie follows a unique premise, with two strangers (Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell) navigating their pasts through mysterious, magical doorways. Both actors deliver nuanced, compelling performances, anchoring the film with a quiet intensity. The cinematography is often breathtaking, and the film's gentle, melancholic score creates a dreamlike atmosphere.

However, the film's deliberate and unhurried pace is its most significant hurdle. While some will appreciate the slow-burn approach as a refreshing departure from standard Hollywood fare, others will find it frustratingly inert. The "journey" feels more like a series of disconnected, quiet moments than a cohesive narrative, and the refusal to rush its plot often makes the movie feel emotionally distant and slow. What could have been a truly epic and fantastical story is instead a muted, pensive character study. Ultimately, your enjoyment hinges on your patience for its meditative rhythm.

The movie had potential, but it dragged and leaned too hard on forced drama instead of good storytelling. The pacing was slow, the emotional beats felt manufactured, and the characters came across as more unlikeable than sympathetic.

The female lead is introduced sleeping with a random guy, which added nothing but more of the same "no consequences" messaging. Later, she's portrayed as a flake, while Colin's character is framed as a love bomber. Both arcs felt more like clichés than real people, which made the romance fall flat.

The time-travel concept could've been fun, but it lacked explanation and mostly served as a backdrop for heavy-handed "life lessons." Instead of feeling meaningful, it came across as another layer of negativity.

Overall, the film didn't deliver the lighthearted, funny tone the trailer promised. A few decent ideas here and there, but bogged down by pacing, messaging, and unlikable leads.

Final Verdict: 5/10 - interesting premise, poor execution.

Greetings again from the darkness. I'm not normally the target market for romantic philosophy-of-life movies, so it seems apropos that one I connect with is likely to be labeled maudlin or sappy by others. Being a big fan of director Kogonada's underrated COLUMBUS (2017), I was interested to see him team up again with his AFTER YANG (2021) star Colin Farrell, in a blacklist script from writer Seth Reiss (THE MENU, 2022).

Matching Colin Farrell with Margot Robbie means that, at a minimum, beautiful movie stars will fill the screen. Beyond their stunning looks, both are extremely talented actors - Farrell has certainly honed his skill over the years, while Robbie is a modern day Grace Kelly. David and Sarah first meet each other at a wedding. The attraction is there, but this encounter ends awkwardly with each going their separate way. We learn they are quasi-miserable lonely souls who see little hope in finding a true soulmate - the message here being that nothing should be assumed until one's own soul-searching is complete.

The world's most bizarre Rental Car counter is staffed by two quirky characters played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge ("Fleabag") and Kevin Kline. A fantastical GPS system in their matching 1994 Saturns finds David and Sarah ordering the same 'fast food cheeseburger' at a roadside diner. This is step one in their titular journey ... so named as David screams it while driving. Now traveling in the same Saturn, this GPS directs them to a series of doors - each connected to some past moment of their lives. A red door leads to a lighthouse, another to a high school musical production, one to a special museum, and yet another to hospital visits. It's part trip down memory lane and part spiritual awakening.

What matters is that David and Sarah are sharing the journey with each other - good memories and bad. Stepping through the doors exposes bits of their life and personality that might take years for two in a relationship to discover, if ever they would. Dealing with one's own past is a first step in moving forward, much less in accepting another to share a life with. Regrets, missed opportunities, grief, and hurdles are all part of what make us who we are. Supporting cast members include Lily Rabe, Billy Magnussen, Jodi Turner-Smith, and Sarah Gadon. Hamish Linklater nails his one crucial scene as David's dad ... surprisingly, it's the film's best scene. Whether it's viewed as a search for one's own soul or for a soulmate, the film deals with the baggage that goes with being a grown-up.

Exclusively in theaters beginning September 19, 2025.

South Korean director Kogonada brings Seth Reiss's script to the screen in an ambitious romantic drama starring Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie.

Sarah and David, two singles, meet at a mutual friend's wedding and, by an unexpected twist of fate, embark on a daring and wonderful journey. In this fun and fantastical adventure, they relive key moments from their pasts together, discovering how they got to where they are.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey invites us on a fantasy journey filled with metaphors, immersing us in an intense romantic journey starring two characters marked by their pasts, who come together to face love again. It's an ambitious film that relies on the masterful chemistry between Farrell and Robbie. The couple carries the entire story on their shoulders, oscillating between humor and profound drama, with a constant sense of learning.

Kogonada manages to put his personal stamp on the film without straying from the script, resulting in an undeniable visual spectacle, especially thanks to the director's art design and wonderful shots. However, the script takes a relatively risk-free approach, making the film rather conservative in the themes it addresses and in the way it develops the relationship between its two protagonists.

Being a safe route, it also becomes a small obstacle for the film itself, which at times seems to need a jolt to find a second wind. Nevertheless, it's a rewarding genre film that manages to meet the challenge of giving value to its premise and to this personal encounter between both characters and the wounds of the past.

I think the film achieves its best results when it tries to be more personal. When it tries to be more grand than necessary, it seems to somewhat distance itself from the chemistry that develops between its two protagonists. These are impressions that one assimilates as one understands this whole world that unfolds in the protagonists' journey of identity.

In conclusion...

An interesting offering that offers a well-directed and acted romantic drama, although unfortunately it fails to reach its full potential. It has fascinating moments and others that are much less impressive, which prevents the film from becoming anything more compelling than it promised. For fans of the genre, it's undoubtedly a very satisfying pastime.