Unfortunately, that’s exactly the kind of thinking that drove the rom-com genre away for nearly a decade. Instead of delivering either madcap screwball fun or a relaxed hangout vibe, "Ticket to Paradise" mostly just feels inert, as if everyone involved assumed that once they had Clooney and Roberts onboard the rest of the movie would take care of itself. (from left) Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) and David (George Clooney) in Ticket To Paradise, directed by Ol Parker. But those effective glimmers of pathos are undermined by jokes about yoga pants and beer pong that would’ve felt stale in the mid-aughts. The few times "Ticket to Paradise" does do right by its two stars are the brief moments it leans into wistful drama, like a late night bar scene where David admits that seeing your kid happy can be just as scary as seeing them sad you’re always worried about what bad thing could happen to bring them down. WATCH FREE ON TUBI: The hidden gem 2019 wedding rom-com "Plus One" - get the app Surprisingly enough, the most consistent laughs come from "Emily in Paris" star Lucas Bravo as Georgia’s younger French lover, who comes impressively close to stealing the film out from Roberts and Clooney. For as charming as it is to see Roberts flash her megawatt smile as Clooney smirks and smolders, the movie coasts on its stars’ charisma rather than elevating their talents. Indeed, maybe the biggest problem with "Ticket to Paradise" is that it’s just not very funny. (from left) Georgia (Julia Roberts) and Paul (Lucas Bravo) in Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker. But the film can never shake its icky "travel somewhere ‘exotic’ to find yourself" undertones, a state of affairs not helped by listless comedic setpieces about short-tempered dolphins and poisonous snakes. (He also wrote and directed the glossily deranged "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," so love stories in hot climates are apparently his specialty.) "Ticket to Paradise" makes something of an earnest attempt to showcase Balinese culture and round out its supporting cast with Balinese actors. To its credit, the cultural politics of "Ticket to Paradise" are at least slightly ( slightly) less problematic than those of Parker’s "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" screenplays. Thus we get a "My Best Friend’s Wedding" sabotage plot in an "Eat Pray Love'" destination setting. (Visa issues, maybe? Some kind of hold-up about sex before marriage? "Ticket to Paradise" doesn’t take the trouble to clarify.) Regardless, David and Georgia are determined to stop their daughter from diving into the same kind of youthful marriage they did. Lily and Gede’s rushed engagement is an underdeveloped plot contrivance of its own. (from left, center) Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) and Gede (Maxime Bouttier) in Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker. What’s supposed to be a quick post-graduation trip to Bali for Lily transforms into a whole new life path when she falls for a local seaweed farmer named Gede (Maxime Bouttier) and impulsively decides to marry him - news she all but springs on her parents as she invites them out to Bali to attend her wedding just a few days before it’s going to happen. Why Georgia and David still hate each other so much is never particularly made clear because in place of character specificity, co-writer/director Ol Parker delivers convoluted plot set-up instead. WATCH FREE ON TUBI: The screwball comedy classic "His Girl Friday" - get the app In that context, their constant barbs feel less like a spark-filled reflection of lingering love (as they did in "Ocean’s Eleven") and more like the unhealthy coping mechanisms of two people who desperately need therapy. For one thing, Georgia and David aren’t a recently separated couple but a duo who were married for five years in their early 20s and have been apart far longer than they were ever together. Photo Credit: Universal Picturesīut where those earlier romances used clever, crackling wit to convey real emotional stakes, the opening act of "Ticket to Paradise" is just downright unpleasant. (from left) David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) in Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker.
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