When it comes to books, cheesy and even smutty romance novels are usually moneymakers. Just take a quick browse through your local bookstore, and you will find entire shelves filled with the stuff that makes some swoon and others cringe.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying these corny romances. They provide an escape, pandering to those who crave a little more excitement in their lives – not just readers, but sometimes the authors themselves.
This is exactly the role Sandra Bullock plays in her latest film, “The Lost City”, alongside the ever-hunky Channing Tatum.
Bullock is romance author Loretta Sage, who, after her partner’s demise, has lost her zest for life and writing. Her books sell like hotcakes, but – she suspects – only because of the hunky, handsome hero on the covers named Dash.
Dash does not exist; he is portrayed by a model (Tatum) who loses his shirt far more often than necessary. Said model, Alan, is a man with heart, but clearly possesses more brawn than brain – not that the screaming fangirls care about his intellect in the slightest.
When a mysterious billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) recruits (read: kidnaps) Sage – bright, sparkly sequined jumpsuit and all – to help with his search for a long-lost treasure, it is up to sweet, hapless Alan to look for her.
“The Lost City” harkens back to the adventure films your parents or grandparents would have enjoyed, such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “King’s Solomon’s Mines”.
In fact, it feels like the directors, brothers Adam and Aaron Nee, took bits and pieces from other movies and jammed them together into this caper-filled rom-com.
The film pokes fun at the tropes that make the romance genre so schmaltzy, whether it’s the unrealistic situations or unnatural dialogue.
Just take the cameo from Brad Pitt, who turns up as the tough guy Alan wishes he could be. As he rescues Sage, she asks: “Why are you so handsome?” He replies: “My dad was a weatherman.” The film might as well be a grilled cheese sandwich by this stage.
Make no mistake, though – despite the generous amounts of gorgonzola, “The Lost City” recognises its silliness and embraces it wholeheartedly.
Plus, Bullock and Tatum have good chemistry, with her straight woman to his well-meaning meathead with occasional moments of brilliance. Much of their screen time together is spent bickering, but not to the point where it gets irritating or stale; in fact, you will root for them to keep going with a smile on your face.
At its heart, “The Lost City” does not bring anything new to the silver screen but has its fair amount of charm, like a dog making puppy eyes at you.
Sure, there are plenty of plot holes, but it’s not so egregious that you would want to stomp out of the theatre. And it could be worse – you could be watching “Morbius” instead.
‘The Lost City’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.