“Lonely Planet” Review: Radiant & Swoony Leads Liam Hemsworth & Laura Dern Elevate This Tested Concept

If we had a nickel every time a high-profile streaming service decided to showcase a movie about an older woman-younger man relationship, we’d have three for this year, which isn’t a lot. But it’s weird that it’s happened thrice.

In a world where “The Idea of You” took the Internet by storm, “A Family Affair” brought the ick, and we’re still a couple of months away from A24’s “Babygirl, we can always count on Netflix to bring in yet another one of these. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with the premise and we’re all for breaking the stigma about age gaps and we do think that stories like this can help in that sense – as long as they are told well enough.

Laura Dern stars as an acclaimed novelist, Katherine Loewe, who’s been working on her book for the longest time. Desperate to finish it, she attends a writer’s retreat in Morocco where she claims it would be peaceful and quiet, the perfect location for her to get her creative juices flowing.

Notable as someone reclusive and serious about her work, Katherine doesn’t exactly find her groove here. Well, maybe that’s because she chose a place other than the library.

Another writer, Lily (Diana Silvers), arrives at the retreat as her husband Owen (Liam Hemsworth) tags along, probably at her insistence. From the get-go, Owen is a fish out of the water, considering the creative crowd on the location, who muse of Nikolai Gogol and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s not the type of company he’s usually accustomed to.

Initially, it doesn’t go too well for both of them. Katherine is still stuck in that snag and finds that she needs to close herself up even more as the setting is still too loud for her to work (geez, just get some noise-cancelling headphones). Owen is getting more agitated by the lack of relatability to the people around him and in turn decides to move away from the noise as well.

On that night, the two bump into each other on a rooftop, and over the course of a few days, develop a kinship.

Now, we have seen this sort of movie before considering the catalogue that Netflix has and frankly, we have a ceiling with this sort of concept. However, we cannot write this off based on past accounts and thankfully, the movie isn’t a blandly shot film characteristic of the one-off weekly fad that could be played in the background.

The film hinges on the power of change through a shift in pace and setting. Owen and Katherine are both taken out of their usual spots, experiencing a new culture, and probably having their brains rewired in real time because that’s usually how it goes.

It’s a universal experience for many, that when step out of your comfort zone, talk to people you aren’t usually with and get to dive into lifestyles from other regions, there is this epiphany. Now, this could affect the individual in many ways, and some prefer to shrivel up and return to safety, whereas there are people who find themselves opening up in a way that they probably have not thought of before.

While Katherine and Owen are both there for very different reasons, they extend themselves outward to each other because they find the need for a change. For Katherine, it is the block in her creative journey and the desperation to survive. She’s technically homeless, at this point, and really needs the book to succeed so that she can get a new place.

Besides, she also just got out of a long-term marriage which is probably why she is choosing to direct all of her energy to the writing process.

Owen, on the other hand, has found that this relationship isn’t working out as well for him. Things that have mildly irritated him prior are amped even more during this trip. Lily has found her flock which is good for her but Owen feels like he just isn’t able to relate. At one point, Lily belittles his lack of knowledge of literature to her acquaintances, quoting that he only reads “Sports Illustrated”.

Owen also finds that he’s feeling more and more insecure due to Lily’s habits at night, getting wasted and partying the night away with her company. He’s lost as his purpose is becoming less clear to him.

That isn’t to say that Owen is a perfect person either. He struggles with boundaries and constantly has to take work calls at this location due to the nature of his job. So, he’s very much involved with his work despite withdrawing from an office environment and it seeps into his relationship.

At one point, Lily gets a publishing deal, and he just isn’t able to share that excitement with her. At this point, the two of them have very different goals and opinions of their purpose and this relationship isn’t what they thought it would be.

So, in this predicament of Katherine and Owen, they are drawn to each other and find a certain solace. Walking around the streets, and shopping at the local markets, they find that spark and slowly grow closer. The troubles that they are facing are slowly dissipating as even Katherine is finding inspiration for herself and her book. Owen finds that there is indeed something in between them.

Morocco as a setting plays a huge part in the beauty of this film and the vibrance of its hues are used here as part of the story. Many times, shots move to focus on the area and the people, which as we have noted are important to the development of these characters. It’s graded gorgeously and immerses viewers in the lives of these people.

What works with director and writer Susannah Grant is how she allows these two to marinate in their ‘loneliness’ as two bodies that need affection without them ever really knowing it at first. It feels realistic in that way where they are both flawed and not out of touch with the world but it’s the failure to incorporate themselves into a situation that they’ve been put into.

While it is good that Laura and Liam do have a charm to their relationship, which isn’t purely sexual attraction at first, we do feel the third act and coda don’t feel all too satisfying when it comes to how these characters are handled. It isn’t flat-out bad but it could have had some polishing in the pacing of it all as we felt it was a little rushed. We knew it was coming. It’s that the rise and fall happen so quickly that when are presented with a time jump, it feels unresolved.

However, you know, we went in expecting the worst, considering the romantic drama track record on this platform. Yet, we were fairly entertained particularly due to the infectious nature that Laura and Liam bring to the table. Laura has such a good personality and Liam of course, has that charisma that he oozes. And they both work with each other, with the bond gradually strengthening on that retreat.

Fortunately, it’s written with a ground to it, instead of relying on shock and sensation like a lot of other romcoms do, but it’s that we get to embrace these characters as we go along for a trip with them. The hands who involved with this project knew that, and it’s a plus that we get stunning views as well.

Ah, now, we want an excursion…

“Lonely Planet” is currently streaming on Netflix.