Lonely Planet

Ok, so this is really hard to write because I do genuinely like Laura Dern and as a Hannah Montana girlie (lol) I always had a crush on Liam Hemsworth which is why I was very excited for this romance/drama Netflix film.

It's no news that Liam always plays the same character in every film he is in but there is just no spark between him and Laura. I was really not convinced that a 30 yo man is hot for an older woman.

The biggest disappointment was the rest of the casting. The girl who plays his girlfriend is so unlikable and is really unconvincing as an actress.

I do think the story had potential but it was unfortunately portrayed very sad and depressing throughout the entire film!

There is a retreat of sorts in Morocco for writers, many of the attendees are acclaimed authors, some have won prestigious awards. One attendee is Laura Dern (mid 50s) as Katherine Loewe. Being well known in this situation works to her disadvantage, she needs to finish a manuscript, she has her laptop to work on, but she has difficulty finding quiet time.

Liam Hemsworth (early 30s) is Owen Brophy who is NOT a writer. In fact he rarely if ever reads fiction. He doesn't know who the well-known authors are and when he is sucked into an evening social game with authors, with his clue of "PIP", all he can think of is the old singing group, "Gladys Knight and the Pips."

He is there because his fiancée, one of the successful writers, has brought him along. He is miserable there but finds solace in meeting Katherine and having meaningful conversations. They both recognize the 23-years age gap is unusual and are hesitant but their friendship deepens.

Fans of action movies would likely find this movie to be overly dull but my wife and I found it interesting and entertaining. The beautiful and unusual scenery in Morocco was a good addition. Plus an event, during a road excursion which resulted in Katherine and Owen in an unplanned visit to the home of a Moroccan family, was an interesting addition. Things that happened in Morocco had positive effects on both of them and, after going their separate ways, were reunited some time later in New York City.

We watched it at home, streaming. With 2.7K votes the median rating is a clear "6" which puts it just above the 5.5 midpoint of IMDb's 1 to 10 rating scale.

I understand that this movie may not be everyone's cup of tea but it sure does resonate with me. It has a coherent story that's very relevant with today's time.

We rarely get to see a young man older woman love stories but most of such stories looses logic at some point in the narrative. That's exactly where this movie shines. If a love story like this has to happen, it should happen like the narrative of the movie.

I am a book lover and may be that's why I enjoyed the movie so much. Also, as I mentioned before, this may not be a cup of tea for everyone as there's no major twists and turns in the story but are very subtle ones that are interwoven into the narrative.

My suggestion is to go in with a calm and relaxed mind and you will enjoy it.

I found this movie to be quite beautiful. I love the simplicity and unlikeliness of the love story. It has a "quietness and simplicity", which a lot of people will confuse for "boring" or "slow" which leads to a great love story and a feel good vibe. Never expected Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern to have such good chemistry but it really makes me want to find whatever they have because I am the same type of "quiet, solitary" person and it makes me feel like there someone out there for everyone and that the universe guides you, whether you want to or not, in the right direction. You should definitely watch it if you're in a "deep" state of mind and are looking for a beautiful escape :)

I saw this film for Laura Dern. And for Morocco. And , without high expectations about story - the recipe for romance is clear, simple and pretty inflexible -.

I was not very convinced about a writer reunion - sure, nice pretext for story- or about the chemistry between Dern and Hemsworth. But each of that is just insignificant, both actors offering beautiful performance, the themes, sensitives, being correct reflected, Lonely Planet being only remind of the importance of love, support of other, deceives, impulsive decisions, life in circle of writing, nice clash of different ages, experiences, perspectives, including in locations who seems be out of this...risk.

Unfair to be critic about film. The effort of each actor is obvious, the story gives some nice kicks to discover the life from new perspectives, the unrealism is in reasonable doses and the message is just bitter - sweet as a good chocolate. I admitt, the final, seeming pretty forced, was not exactly on my taste but this is only a minuscule detail. So, pretty romance.