Opened nationwide yesterday, no thread here? Are we so embarrassed about Charlie Hunnam? (I know we still are with Robert Pattinson but if I hadn’t told you you probably would not have recognized him.)
OK, to summarize here now. It is based on a non-fiction slash biographical work of early 20th century British explorer, Percy Fawcett, that nobody had ever before thought to remember and who in fact vanished in the Amazon during his final expedition. That he never returned to tell his story does tend to give the story teller a lot of leeway in framing the subject.
Percy’s obsession was in finding proof of a lost civilization in Amazonia; specifically modern day Bolivia. In his day he was scorned as a crack-pot. In the movie depiction he is a brilliant dreamer who is conveniently a century ahead of his time and so quite capable of showing his 21st century audience his respect and admiration for his fellow indigenous man. So endearing is he that we forgive him for thrice abandoning his wife and children so that he could find himself in the Amazon. That the wife is a strong, independent woman who herself is ahead of her time is a blessing to us all, I’m sure.
I kid because I care. The movie isn’t meant to be comedy. And as a grand adventure it works on many levels. It’s gorgeous and gritty and is not terribly acted most of the time. Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Charlie Hunnam but in playing a period English military man and explorer I believe he’s found his calling.
For me it was so-so; the whole is less than the sum of it’s parts. It’s very long and rambling and doesn’t seem to have a particular point. His accomplishments as an explorer never seem that impressive. There is an imagined final scene that seems completely unnecessary, and there is a seemingly crucial incident just before it that is all but skipped (touched on in a letter home).
This pretty much sums up my own reaction after seeing the film today. It felt scattershot and largely lifeless, with Robert Pattinson as one of the few highlights. I think I would have much preferred if they had zeroed in on a single expedition (or even two) and focused on that.
It’s pretty corny. the wife brings the head of the Royal Geographic a pocket watch she says someone brought back from the Amazon instructed to bring it directly to her… the same pocket watch the head of the RG gave our hero years before. Dun dun DUNNNnnnn
