What does one need for a successful rom-com? The tried-and-true formula has always included charming leads, good ol’ chemistry and cheesy lines that are worth melting over. In the case of George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ latest, Ticket to Paradise, you’ve got a few of those ingredients, or maybe just one, but still makes it a fun and charming low-key watch.
The film follows David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts), a once-married couple who fell in love 25 years ago and lasted for only another 5 of those years. They don’t have much in common, except their love for their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever). When Lily jets off to Bali after graduation with her best friend Wren (Billie Lourd), she meets and falls in love with a Balinese seaweed farmer Gede (Maxime Bouttier) and within a month they announce their engagement. With their failed mistakes to reflect on, David and Georgia rush to Bali with the intention of stopping their wedding.
Clooney and Roberts are undeniably talented actors who don’t need to do much to charm audiences. They smile and always deliver but any tension between them just feels like a really good friendship, just like their off-screen relationship. The sparks don’t fly off the bat, but it’s their turn as actors that keeps you invested in the story. Their comic timing is on-point and even the bloopers are fun to watch. Stay until the end for those gems.
But in Ticket to Paradise, It’s Billie Lourd (Booksmart) who leaves a lasting impression with her killer, hilarious delivery. She consistently draws the best laughs in the film.
Writer-director Ol Parker has proven more than capable of leading successful rom-coms, with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel both benefitting from all the flavourful ingredients. He doesn’t attempt to try anything more radical here and it still—mostly—works.
But if it’s fun you’re after, then this lighthearted romp does its job and will remind you why we still ship Clooney and Roberts. Their banter feels easy and will always leaving you smiling and rooting for them. But when it comes right down to it, Ticket to Paradise isn’t destined for classic status. So come for the promise of a good rom-com and stay for Clooney, Roberts and the gorgeous backdrop of Bali.
Ticket to Paradise is now in theatres.
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