One star for cinematography, one for subject matter, and one for effort. In another film these scores would be doubled or tripled, but this film's demerits are just so flagrant and overbearing. It doesn't give to the audience - it asks and keeps asking: mostly for patience, and ultimately for endurance of the pretention of it all. It could have been really good: beautiful setting, a director willing to embrace naturalism and ambiguity, and some deep underlying aspects of woman & man relationships.
But the first half plays like an extended, beautifully-shot (and therefore all the worse) Instagram story of an attractive, charismatic couple on holiday.
The second half, where the real substance is, has already been spoiled by the first half. The interesting stuff is stretched without given much more substance.
Ultimately it feels lazy, and actually in a way, safe: substituting scenery for story, and suggestion for substance.
And it's really pretty agonizing to actually watch.
Instead, go to "Force Majeur" and "A Bigger Splash" for movies studying men and women on holiday.
Review of The Loneliest Planet
