Romantic comedies seem to have taken a backseat in cinemas over the last couple of years, often in favor of more dramatic romances and some of the more popular brethren in the realm of genre fiction, such as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
But 2022, like movies as a whole, seems to be a phoenix moment for the romantic comedy; Bros is set to release later this month, and following it in October will be Ticket to Paradise, a film that’s reminiscent of the rom-coms of yore, complete with the triumphant return of Julia Roberts to the genre, sporting her storied chemistry with one George Clooney.
Fast approaching its United Kingdom release date on Sept. 20, the reviews for this heartfelt, star-studded chucklefest have begun touching down, and it looks like Ticket to Paradise is doing exactly what’s expected of it; it doesn’t seem to be reinventing the wheel in any way, but it is pumping a healthy dose of life back into a genre that was sorely missing it.
Variety‘s Richard Kuipers commended the film, noting that while it probably won’t carve out a place in the genre’s history books, the simple fact that it brought the likes of George Clooney and Julia Roberts together for a film of this kind offers up more than enough for what you’d expect.
While far from a classic of its kind, this is likely to be just the “Ticket” for general viewers relishing the chance to watch Roberts and Clooney trade poisonous barbs, before being struck by Cupid’s arrow all over again.
Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily noted that the film’s stylistic choices were both an asset and detriment to its overall outcome while also praising the chemistry of the two leads.
That old-fashioned feeling seems targeted to move Clooney and Roberts out of action films and into a new, more forgiving demographic as older stars in the firmament age out. With a decades-long rapport on screen and off, they’re natural and sparky together, and Roberts joins Clooney in her decision not to presenting the cosmetically refreshed face of her peers. For that alone, Ticket To Paradise is a trip worth taking.
And IndieWire‘s Ella Kemp touted the film as a fun reminder of what we may have been missing out on in the absence of rom-coms of this size.
Something so easy to enjoy is so hard to get right — like, you could argue, all the most precious relationships in this sorry world — and what a miracle for a modern pioneer of the genre to still have the grace to resurrect it with “Ticket to Paradise.”
Ticket to Paradise will release in theaters in the United States on Oct. 21.
Published: Sep 15, 2022 07:08 am