Ticket to Paradise (2022)
Ticket to Paradise is a pleasant enough romantic comedy, a lot (but not all) of its charm coming from the undeniable chemistry between star couple George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Clooney and Roberts have a history together: they got together romantically at the end of Steven's Ocean's Eleven Soderbergh. They also co-starred in the sequel Ocean's Twelve, in Clooney's directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and in the thriller Money Monster.
That they have now reunited for a romantic comedy is some sort of minor miracle, given the idea that Hollywood has more or less given up on the genre, save for exceptions like the mediocre JLo vehicle Marry Me from earlier this year.
Perhaps the genre, which is still popular in other parts of the world, will now be making a comeback, thanks to the probable success of Ticket to Paradise.
There is nothing revolutionary about the film, but it works well within its chosen formula: a mixture of screwball comedy and some lighthearted and family-based comedy-drama.
It boasts two stars that everyone knows, a fine supporting cast and also a sun-drenched location where most of the film takes place.
The romance initially comes from two young lovers Lily (Kaitlin Dever) and her Balinese boyfriend Gede (Maxime Bouttier), who want to get married after only a couple of months together.
The best lines come from the bickering of the former spouses, Georgia (Roberts) and David (Clooney) who can’t stand the sight of each other but travel to Bali anyway to dissuade their daughter from her proposed marriage.
They decide to act like a Trojan horse, pretending to be happy with their daughter’s choice, but all the while trying to sabotage things from within.
Director Ol Parker skilfully directs the whole thing and allows Roberts and Clooney to slowly find each other again.
Their trip to Bali turns out to be a fine form of cinematic escapism.