As a seasoned viewer of romantic dramas and someone who has seen more than their fair share of age-gap romances, I must say that the latest offerings seem to be stuck in a rut. The tropes are as predictable as a broken record, and the chemistry between the characters is often nonexistent.
2024 seems to be a peak time for age gap romances, with a subtle but significant change in their narrative. Traditionally, it was the male character who was significantly older than the female (we’re looking at you, Richard Gere), but now the focus has shifted, and mature female characters are taking center stage. The latest addition to this genre is the Netflix romance movie titled “Lonely Planet“, directed by Susannah Grant and released on October 11th. Much like its title, “Lonely Planet” seems as unpredictable as it sounds. Despite boasting well-known actors, the release of this Netflix romantic movie seemed unexpected, and the plotline feels rather solitary and disoriented, much like its main characters.
Katherine Loewe, a well-known author, encounters writer’s block and marital issues, prompting her to seek solace at a Moroccan retreat to complete her novel. Meanwhile, Owen accompanies his girlfriend, an emerging bestselling author, to the same retreat. As she becomes more integrated with the other authors, Owen begins to feel increasingly isolated and disconnected. By chance, Katherine and Owen cross paths one night, discovering common ground in their shared feelings of being adrift. Regrettably, Lonely Planet suffers from several shortcomings, including weak character development and bothersome cliches.
Lonely Planet’s Lead Actors Ruined the Movie
In the movie “Lonely Planet,” Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern stepped into the main roles. Known for their work in “The Hunger Games” and “Big Little Lies,” respectively, these seasoned actors are no novices in Hollywood and have been associated with esteemed projects. Given their stature, it was only natural that expectations ran high. However, unfortunately, those expectations weren’t fulfilled.
The guidebook titled “Lonely Planet,” despite its mystifying title, lacks any element of warmth or chemistry altogether. This becomes particularly evident in the romantic scenes, which are distressing to watch as Dern seemingly fails to convincingly portray intimacy, making the entire scene feel contrived and awkward. It appears that Dern excels at playing a specific type of character – one who is often stern, brisk, and not prone to expressing positive emotions. Her performance in Katherine leaves little room for doubt that such roles suit her better. Fortunately, there’s a third season upcoming for “Big Little Lies,” where Dern can once again embody the character of Renata Klein.
Moving forward, in 2025, Liam Hemsworth will portray Geralt of Rivia in Season 4 of the popular series “The Witcher”. This could provide an opportunity for him to demonstrate more facets of his acting talent. Unfortunately, Dern and Hemsworth don’t seem to be a convincing pair when it comes to expressing intimacy in their roles for “Lonely Planet”, which means that the romance between Katherine and Owen or Dern and Hemsworth falls short of its potential.
Lonely Planet Is Filled with Tropes
In the chaos of tropes found within the movie, Lonely Planet nearly managed to handle an aspect of the age gap narrative effectively. The film mostly avoided emphasizing the substantial age disparity between its main characters, and aside from one instance where Katherine called Owen ‘a kid’, the relationship was rarely depicted as problematic due to their age difference. This is quite commendable because there are movies that portray uncomfortable age gaps, and the discrepancy is often highlighted.
Generally speaking, the characters in Lonely Planet are disappointingly one-dimensional and little is disclosed about them apart from their professions. By the movie’s conclusion, you know just as much about the two principal characters as you did at the start, which weakens the intrigue and tension. In essence, Lonely Planet feels like a monotonous journey along uninteresting paths lined with similar-looking homes. This work shares many characteristics with the age gap film A Family Affair, as both strive to create a romance across generations but overlook the importance of having a compelling storyline alongside it.
Surely, Owen is that charming fellow who stands by his partner, yet it seems as though exploring the world and reading books aren’t really his cup of tea. However, upon encountering this easy-going, seasoned author, who has a sharp wit and truly understands him, everything changes. She manages to make him feel like he’s being true to himself, despite the fact they’ve only known each other for a mere 10 minutes. Suddenly, Owen feels an urge to end things with his girlfriend, but as fate would have it, she turns out to be unfaithful. This unexpected development provides him with an excuse. Amazing, isn’t it?
The saga continues as Katherine’s two-year writing project, kept in her bag, gets stolen. Unsurprisingly, she hadn’t saved a backup of her work. This leads to Dern delivering what may be her most subpar acting, complete with hysterical sobbing and ending things with Owen, who had served as a distraction. Both are left hurt. Time passes, and eventually, they encounter each other by chance at a bar. It’s then that Katherine realizes she should have never let him go. The narrative of Lonely Planet is filled with overused storyline tropes.
Upcoming Age Gap Romance Will Hopefully Do Better
Movies featuring age-gap romances have often sparked discussions, focusing on whether their portrayal of love stories is authentic and believable. The film The Idea of You with Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine stirred controversy as it seemed to emphasize questionable parenting rather than showcasing a genuine, heartfelt relationship between the characters. Similarly, in A Family Affair, starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, the narrative primarily focused on a mother neglecting her daughter’s problems and acting secretively, rather than developing a romantic connection between an older woman and a younger man in a natural way.
Despite the year coming to a close soon, it seems that the trend of age gap movies isn’t going anywhere in 2024. On Christmas Day, a movie titled “Babygirl” from A24 will hit the screens, exploring an intense romance between two individuals with a substantial age difference. Notably, this film stars the veteran age-gap movie actress, Nicole Kidman, who has previously starred in similar roles such as in “A Family Affair“. However, “Babygirl” promises to be even more provocative, as Kidman takes on the role of a powerful CEO who jeopardizes both her job and family when she embarks on an affair with a 20-something intern. The passionate relationship is bound to create turmoil as they struggle to manage their professional lives, personal lives, and families all at once.
It’s yet to be determined how “Babygirl” will handle the age gap issue in the film and to what extent it will delve into the difficulties associated with it. Given that “The Idea of You”, “A Family Affair”, and most recently, “Lonely Planet” have been criticized for their overused tropes and lackluster chemistry, this upcoming movie is expected to offer a unique perspective on the topic. By the way, you can find “Lonely Planet” streaming on Netflix.
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2024-10-21 03:02