Certification. 15
Running Time. 2 hours 21 mins
Director. James Gray
Cast. Tom Holland, Charlie Hunnam, Angus Macfadyen, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson.
Rating. 49%
Adapted from David Grann's novel of the same name, The Lost City Of Z recounts the story of real-life English explorer Percy Fawcett. The film's structure is remarkably loose and unstructured, but in essence, the film spans three expeditions to the Amazon rainforest over the course of 20 years.
The Lost City Of Z is a throwback to an era when British explorers travelled the globe in search of glory in some far-flung corner of the Empire. The time of Livingstone. The time of pith helmets. The time of Kipling.
Whilst there are immediate similarities with films like The Bridge On The River Kwai, The Man Who Would Be King and The Mission, The Lost City Of Z is more in line with Werner Herzog's Aguirre, Wrath Of God and, in particular, Fitzcarraldo.
Percy Fawcett is played by Charlie Hunnam, who is competent enough in the role. But it is Robert Pattinson's character, the mysterious and enigmatic Henry Costin, who perhaps warrants further exploration, more so than Fawcett.
The film suffers from weak dialogue and scant character development, instead relying on a series of historical events in lieu of a storyline. None of the incredibly important elements of Fawcett's life are developed substantially, resulting in an epic adventure that somehow feels inconsequential.
Indeed, what transpires is a poignant character study of a man gravely out of step with his perceived place in society. A man obsessed with the search for a destination he will never reach. A man struggling on an existential quest to make sense of his life.
Comments
Post a Comment