The process of experiencing love, especially in the romantic sense, is hardly ever linear. The journey is met with fear, vulnerability, trust, avoidance and acceptance. Although many want to believe in a fairytale where the two people find each other in a crowded place and instantly know they are “the one” from the beginning, life does not play by these romanticized rules. “A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey,” written by Seth Reiss and directed by Kogonada, explores and depicts the nuances of what it means to be a person in love. As someone who avoids romance movies because of their surface-level depiction of love, this movie was able to captivate me before I even realized it. It felt real, genuine, and understood the humanity of human intimacy.
The story begins with David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah (Margot Robbie) meeting each other at the unlikely wedding of a mutual friend. Both of them are independent by nature. They escape the venue to have a moment of peace, not aware they would run into each other again. Their relationship builds in these moments; sparks fly and unconventional ice-breakers are playfully thrown around. Despite this cliche, the pairing only begins their journey through the GPS of their rental cars. The concept, to both the characters and the audience, is bizarre yet oddly intriguing. A partnership blossoms through the guidance of the navigation system, taking them both on a journey in more ways than one. Moving as a unit, the two are directed to odd doors that reflect the building of their pasts, visible only to them.
Although set up like a classic love story, this movie goes deeper than your average rom-com. The metaphor of opening past doors to explore new understandings allows the audience to discover the depths of these characters alongside the plot. The doors, not only a unique twist on the phrase “when one door closes, another opens,” mark key events that resulted in them becoming disillusioned with the beauty of vulnerability. These past events reveal themselves as surface-level details of both David and Sarah. However, as the journey progresses, they expose their experiences of rejection, heartbreak and loss.
The visuals throughout the film deliver both beauty and irony. Not only is the movie visually stunning, but the cinematography carries the vulnerability within each character and how they reflect on their past. Oftentimes, when I would break from “being in the story.” I could still sit there in amazement at how visually pleasing it was to watch. However, this visual play is not just for the viewer. Both characters hold a deeper sentimental connection to the visual arts. The art museum showcases Sarah’s perception of love as something pretty on the surface but only enjoyable for some, while David’s love of theater reflects the masks and facades many use to hide the intimacies of their true self.
“A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey” is so much more than just a classy love story with a happy ending. It showcases what it means to be human, have emotions and come to terms with your past. The story centers around falling in love with another, but it also highlights coming to terms with internal love as well. It explores the complexities of parent-child relationships, as well as learning to give yourself grace for your past actions. Not to flee and run from them, but to embrace them for the true, genuine story of the past and learn from it.
Even as someone who isn’t currently in a relationship, I was able to relate and empathize with both characters’ journeys. Their hardship reflected the universal conflict that stems from true vulnerability. Although it never brought me to tears, there were many occasions where their conversations and the topics discussed hit home in more ways than one. This is not a story of destiny or once-in-a-lifetime love, but one of growth, guilt and understanding. It is the story of two individuals growing together and allowing their past to shape who they are, but not control them.
