The Loneliest Planet Reviews
March 11, 2013
HORRIBLE! An extremely long, drawn-out movie that could've been summarized in 10 minutes. There was hardly any dialogue, and what dialogue was there was barely understandable. The scenes, while picturesque, hardly related to one another and appeared to be a random collection of unrelated clips. A high school kid studying film could've done a far better job of not only telling this story but also made the cinematography and film editing more interesting. I can't believe "professional" critics actually had anything positive to say about this trash.
March 11, 2013
curious to see why the talented Gael Garcia Bernal was playing the role
of a quiet yet playful, sensual and adventurous Mexican-American
traveling with his girlfriend through Georgia; An hyperactive
eccentric, and cultured, red haired eastern European/American.
At the beginning of the adventure. you can tell how they are melted
with each other, they are sensual and playful. Their bodies find joy in
every corner of the trip. Their intentions to travel into the unknown
seem to be aligned.
After they leave the urban sprawl, nature seems to have slowed their
need for sensuality. The director tunes into Nature as well. The
respect for long silences, gives the spectator an opportunity to
appreciate the slowness and continuum of the ecosystem. The water, the
erosion, an abandoned old house, the sound of a rock falling down the
hill, the change in flora and landscape.
This deep silence can be disturbing in the era of constant stimulation
and brain noise.
The purity of the film's message is appreciated in a time where we are
bombarded by cultural biasses and empty dramas. The film allows the
viewer to receive a simple yet profound story of life and death. It
depicts a multi-cultural journey into the phenomenon of the clash of
civilizations. An alegoria of a the hunter-gather phenomena. Of
survival of the fittest. Of the need for nurture and human connection.
And the present gender and cultural archetypes that are yet present
across cultures.
This is a timeless story of life and death and love. I was sincerely
curious to see why the talented Gael Garcia Bernal was playing the role
of a quiet yet playful, sensual and adventurous Mexican-American
traveling with his girlfriend through Georgia; An hyperactive
eccentric, and cultured, red haired eastern European/American.
At the beginning of the adventure. you can tell how they are melted
with each other, they are sensual and playful. Their bodies find joy in
every corner of the trip. Their intentions to travel into the unknown
seem to be aligned.
After they leave the urban sprawl, nature seems to have slowed their
need for sensuality. The director tunes into Nature as well. The
respect for long silences, gives the spectator an opportunity to
appreciate the slowness and continuum of the ecosystem. The water, the
erosion, an abandoned old house, the sound of a rock falling down the
hill, the change in flora and landscape.
This deep silence can be disturbing in the era of constant stimulation
and brain noise.
The purity of the film's message is appreciated in a time where we are
bombarded by cultural biasses and empty dramas. The film allows the
viewer to receive a simple yet profound story of life and death. It
depicts a multi-cultural journey into the phenomenon of the clash of
civilizations. An alegoria of a the hunter-gather phenomena. Of
survival of the fittest. Of the need for nurture and human connection.
And the present gender and cultural archetypes that are yet present
across cultures.
March 9, 2013
seriosly this movie sucks id right a longer review but there arent words to describe the slowest most meaningless movie ever released i kept looking at my watch praying for the end that it would come swift and painlessly but as torture would have it, it dragged out endlessly
March 7, 2013
Only flaw is its redundancy -- Lektov replicates one shot far more than she needs to, such that I wondered toward the beginning if it was a joke -- otherwise, the slow build of the tension pays off in heart-breaking and provocative ways.
March 1, 2013
The first star is for how utterly beautiful the film is shot, the second half-star is for how it makes you think. Some cutesy scenes between the two leads, thanks to some rather incredible (if wasted) acting ability. The rest? Holy waste of time, Batman.
February 28, 2013
Stopped watching after 30 minutes because there was absolutely no plot. Beautiful scenery can only carry a movie so far.
February 28, 2013
Part of the beauty of The Loneliest Planet is the fact that's its largely told in images and action, it's nearly wordless. Really who says silent filmmaking is dead. The film is a beautiful collage that impacts the aural and visual senses, demonstrating an astonishing artistic sensibility. Every shot and scene shows the excitement and sometimes sheer terror of guiding and being guided through unknown terrain, on an emotional and physical level. And take care to try and catch the telling moment that could potentially change everything Alex and Nica know about one another. The Loneliest Planet is vital, beautiful filmmaking, a treatise on how no individual can outrun basic emotions of loneliness and yearning, even while exploring the very ends of the earth. It's some kind of miracle.
One of the best kept film secrets of 2012 was this profoundly original and emotionally powerful film that only looks like a love story between a couple backpacking in the Caucasus Mountains the summer before they marry. Alex (Mexican star Gael Garcia Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg, in a incredible breakout performance) take pure pleasure in opening themselves up to what the world has to offer, as well as opening up to one another. These two are vibrantly, passionately in love. As they make their way through the mountains with their Georgian tour guide (real-life mountaineer Bidzina Gujabidze), writer-director Julia Loktev (I'd remember that name) alternates between the couple being in love in intimate close up and also from a staggering distance, illustrating remarkably how this trio looks so insignificant amidst their surroundings.
Part of the beauty of The Loneliest Planet is the fact that's its largely told in images and action, it's nearly wordless. Really who says silent filmmaking is dead. The film is a beautiful collage that impacts the aural and visual senses, demonstrating an astonishing artistic sensibility. Every shot and scene shows the excitement and sometimes sheer terror of guiding and being guided through unknown terrain, on an emotional and physical level. And take care to try and catch the telling moment that could potentially change everything Alex and Nica know about one another. The Loneliest Planet is vital, beautiful filmmaking, a treatise on how no individual can outrun basic emotions of loneliness and yearning, even while exploring the very ends of the earth. It's some kind of miracle.
February 27, 2013
The movie had a great mood, a combination of nice landscapes and violin music, which made it really special. Unfortunately, you hope that something will happen, that something will develop, but it's simply too subtle to be interesting. I watched the whole thing and felt like it could have ended 2 hours ago. Very deceiving for something that looked so promising.
February 20, 2013
A subtle yet strong arthouse film that both crawls under your skin and punches you in the face. Its unsettling in its way of making you anticipate something bad to happen, yet comforting in its way to make you realize and reflect about your prejudices and mistakes. Its reminiscent of Kiarostami in its visual language and landscape shots.
July 17, 2012
A film that requires brutal patience, but Julia Loktev's unique and risky direction led to some really beautifully, poignant moments. I think she could have done more with this film though.
February 4, 2013
la vi ayer, si que es solitaria !!!!! casi ni hay dialogos, lo unico bueno fue los paisajes...........
January 26, 2013
Atrocious. Too self-conscious and underwritten/concepty to even passively enjoy.
Markus Emilio Robinson
Super Reviewer
January 22, 2013
The truth is "The Loneliest Planet" is a hard film to review because it is contingent on one scene (really one physical movement) an hour into the picture, that I can't really talk about. But what I can say is that the latter half of the movie (after the big scene) although consists of Bernal and Furstenberg continuing to walk around the Caucasus Mountains (mostly in silence) is quite a moving piece of cinema that does show off Loktev's Malick-esque directorial skills.
On the other hand, this film is not for everybody. What will ultimately hold this back for many, will be the (at times) too Independent for its own good feel of the entire picture, as Loktev holds on shots for minutes at a time where nothing seems to be going on, and spends a lot of time filming characters ad-libbing their dialogue. Other issues may come down to the free flowing (slow) pacing of "The Loneliest Planet", which may leave many walking out of this movie questioning: Was Loktev's introspective inquiries really worth the journey?
Final Thought: In my opinion this sort of Avant-garde piece about a couple under duress is very much a film geared more towards female audiences. That is to say, the main focus is not Bernal. He is only the vehicle that helps show the nature of the male counterpart. The real star of the show here is Furstenberg, who displays the complex prospective of a female outlook on relationships exceptionally well, and thusly what she goes through should be more fully understood by female audiences. That is not to say that men will not enjoy this film, but for most men, "The Loneliest Planet" may be too hard of a pill to swallow. Plus, if you are currently a male in a relationship, this is one movie that may only serve to plant the seed of an awkward conversation (which in turn, probably is the point).
Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus
While it does have something profound to say about relationships and how one moment can make or break them, "The Loneliest Planet" takes so long to get to its rather poignant yet elusive point, that it may seem to some as a bit too meandering. BUT, if you can stay with it, independent writer/director Julia Loktev does deliver with a payoff that is hauntingly thought provoking, with a high potential for inducing provocative discussions. Written (adapted from a short story from Tom Bissell) and exquisitely directed by Loktev using a plethora of expressive long takes, "The Loneliest Plant" stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg and centers around a young, adventurous and engaged to be married couple, who travel on a backpacking trip along the Caucasus Mountains, lead by a local Georgian guide. Sounds riveting right? Well, the initial hour does play out like a rather dull, elongated version of a short story, but then something happens that essentially changes the entire relationship dynamic, and more importantly allows the second half of this 2 hour film to slowly blossom into a tragic and quite engaging dissection of the male and female roles in a relationship. At times "The Loneliest Planet" displays thematic similarities to 2012's independent female relationship point of view film "Take this Waltz", but Loktev seems to be able to get her female visual prospective across with slightly more clarity, while still keeping a fascinating air of ambiguousness.
The truth is "The Loneliest Planet" is a hard film to review because it is contingent on one scene (really one physical movement) an hour into the picture, that I can't really talk about. But what I can say is that the latter half of the movie (after the big scene) although consists of Bernal and Furstenberg continuing to walk around the Caucasus Mountains (mostly in silence) is quite a moving piece of cinema that does show off Loktev's Malick-esque directorial skills.
On the other hand, this film is not for everybody. What will ultimately hold this back for many, will be the (at times) too Independent for its own good feel of the entire picture, as Loktev holds on shots for minutes at a time where nothing seems to be going on, and spends a lot of time filming characters ad-libbing their dialogue. Other issues may come down to the free flowing (slow) pacing of "The Loneliest Planet", which may leave many walking out of this movie questioning: Was Loktev's introspective inquiries really worth the journey?
Final Thought: In my opinion this sort of Avant-garde piece about a couple under duress is very much a film geared more towards female audiences. That is to say, the main focus is not Bernal. He is only the vehicle that helps show the nature of the male counterpart. The real star of the show here is Furstenberg, who displays the complex prospective of a female outlook on relationships exceptionally well, and thusly what she goes through should be more fully understood by female audiences. That is not to say that men will not enjoy this film, but for most men, "The Loneliest Planet" may be too hard of a pill to swallow. Plus, if you are currently a male in a relationship, this is one movie that may only serve to plant the seed of an awkward conversation (which in turn, probably is the point).
Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus
January 21, 2013
LO MEJOR: Que después de verla te entran ganas de ir al monte y rodar una película. Es una película bella,natural,cortante y sin tapujos. Con unos enormes planos generales que abundan durante todo le metraje. Los actores protagonistas(no es fácil rodar una película de estas características) están muy bien. La dirección y su fotografía.
LO PEOR: Que haya muy poca gente que se atreva a hacer este tipo de películas, porque no hace falta tener un historia potente para rodar una película de una gran factura.
UN PLANETA LLENO DE VIDA!!!
LO MEJOR: Que después de verla te entran ganas de ir al monte y rodar una película. Es una película bella,natural,cortante y sin tapujos. Con unos enormes planos generales que abundan durante todo le metraje. Los actores protagonistas(no es fácil rodar una película de estas características) están muy bien. La dirección y su fotografía.
LO PEOR: Que haya muy poca gente que se atreva a hacer este tipo de películas, porque no hace falta tener un historia potente para rodar una película de una gran factura.
January 21, 2013
The years most frustrating film. The Loneliest Planet has great acting, beautiful scenery and interesting themes going for it. Sadly, the film's pacing will test the patience of even art-house lovers (such as myself). More importantly, the film fails on an emotional level after the turning point in its plot. There reaches a point where a stubborn dis-use of scripted dialogue within a film ceases to be realistic (which is problematic when a film seemingly strives to be naturalistic in its approach).
January 15, 2013
An intriguing and noble effort, but ultimately, it's neither dramatically or visually entertaining or engaging enough. The film is overburdened with repetitive nature shots that don't propel the narrative forward and, instead, make the whole endeavor feel static. It's great to let the subtext do the talking every once in a while, but I expected a bit more substance from this exercise.
January 15, 2013
The film's style is so minimalist that after a while your waiting for something,ANYTHING to happen, then when something does happen it's not enough.
January 12, 2013
This was so painful to watch I felt the need to write my first review ever. Instead of spending two hours of your life watching this, go into the kitchen, grab a wooden spoon and hit yourself repeatedly over the head for that amount of time. This will be a better experience for you.
January 10, 2013
Gorgeous cinematography but it probably goes for a bit too long. Interesting film however.
