Not new, or exotic

A whimsical writer’s retreat at an ancient Moroccan property, coming together of literary giants and a young author with a bestseller, ‘Lonely Planet’ opens on a promising note. If the popular, prolific writer Katherine Loewe (Laura Dern) has travelled thousands of miles to find peace and quiet to hand in her next book, the breakout beach read star Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) has dragged her boyfriend, the handsome Owen (Liam Hemsworth), along!

As Katherine struggles to find a private place to meet her deadline; Owen, a financial analyst, struggles to fit the literary company. As a result, the two come together in an old-young romance, much on the lines of Netflix’s ‘The Idea of You’.

The ancient Moroccan retreat is full of interesting people — the haughty Nobel winner Ada Dohan (Shosha Goren), Libyan memoir writer Rafih Abdo (Younes Boucif), alcoholic Ugo Jaconelli (Adriano Giannini) and the spunky host Fatema Benzakour (Rachida Brakni). With Lily enjoying the limelight and the writers engaging in a literary dumb charade, it builds the atmosphere. But the jilted Owen fanning over the grieving Katherine (over loss of love and farmhouse) is rather hastened. The colourful bazaars of Morocco aren’t able to do justice to the simplistic plot.

Susannah Grant, who received an Oscar nomination for ‘Erin Brockovich’, has written and directed ‘Lonely Planet’.

The much-feted Laura Dern (she has an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and five Golden Globe Awards to her credit) this time headlines a romcom, but one wishes she got a better written character. She is flawless in her act but the character she plays lacks heft. Paired with the gorgeous Liam Hemsworth, the infamous Gale Hawthorne of ‘The Hunger Games’, this pair isn’t the one the audience roots for.

In 2024, we definitely celebrate emotionally available men, but Owen in ‘Lonely Planet’ comes across as a tad too soft. Cheated by Lily, hurt by Katherine, ditched by his bosses, the man just can’t hold it together in the face of adversity. Shosha Goren as Ada is quirky and fun, doing her bit to down Owen. But sadly, none of the characters gets much time.

It may be too simple a plot, but it’s a good-looking film with gorgeous locations and pretty people. The message is lovely too — when in a mess, go with your instincts and take that swing route. But this romantic comedy is neither new, nor exotic.