Review: ‘Ticket to Paradise’ revolves around its two shining stars
‘Ticket to Paradise’ is an untraditional romcom that juxtaposes attempts to break-up a happy couple with argumentative divorcees re-examining the end of their marriage.
Parents generally want the best for their children — best schooling, best education, best career, best romantic partner. Unfortunately, parents and their children are not always going to agree what is best, and sometimes the younger people simply have to be allowed to make mistakes in order to learn from them. Conversely, parents also have to accept that even if it doesn’t seem like it at first, their kids are capable of making the right choices and they may be better judges of what’s best for themselves. All of these factors come into play in the unconventional romantic comedy, Ticket to Paradise.
After earning her law degree, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) and her best friend, Wren (Billie Lourd), decide to reward themselves with an exotic vacation before starting their professional lives. However, their trip to Bali brings more than just fun in the sun. Lily meets Gede (Maxime Bouttier), a local seaweed farmer, and falls madly in love with him and the country. When her combative divorced parents, David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts), receive word about their daughter’s impending nuptials, the first thing they agree on in years is that they have to stop the wedding. Calling a truce, the pair combine forces to sabotage the event, hopefully giving them enough time to convince the young lovers they’re not compatible.
This is an unusual romantic comedy as it centres on a new relationship full of love and hope being interrupted by a failed couple who only find common ground in their disapproval. Of course, while new love perseveres in the face of unexpected but not accidental obstacles, the long-separated pair come to terms with what went wrong and see a more amicable way forward for the future. Then there’s the intermediate relationship between Georgia and her thoughtful, French pilot boyfriend, Paul (Lucas Bravo). He’s younger than her, and his enthusiasm and eager need to please her makes him the butt of everyone else’s jokes.
There’s nothing particularly standout about this romcom, except that it’s really about the parents’ relationship rather than the newly engaged pair. Luckily, Clooney and Roberts have always had excellent chemistry, even when they’re spending most of their time insulting each other. Their charisma multiplies when they’re in the same room, creating an atmosphere that draws viewers into the narrative. Consequently, their appalling attempts to destroy their daughter’s engagement is balanced by their amusing exchanges and gags about their age. Also, the location is its own magnificent character that takes the spotlight throughout the picture.
Director: Ol Parker
Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Kaitlyn Dever
