Nowadays, the adventure genre is going through far from the best of times. Stories about adventurers who are ready to drop everything and go to the most inaccessible places on the globe have long been in the past. After numerous sequels of the legendary Indiana Jones, it is quite difficult to bring anything new into this genre. For this reason, many directors try to avoid him. However, in recent years, in Hollywood, demand for films of such a plan has reappeared. However, now directors are trying to avoid fictional and fantasy elements, creating a movie based on real events.
"The Lost City Z" (2017 film) is one of the brightest examples of modern cinema. Thanks to the excellent directing of James Gray and a wonderful selection of actors, this film turned out to be so deep and catchy from the first minutes. Despite the solid timing, the film does not seem prolonged and looks at one go. So for all lovers of the adventure genre, this movie will be a great find. Next, we will analyze this film in detail, so that you can finally make sure that it is worthy of audience attention. Reviews of the movie "Lost City Z" will also be presented to your attention further.
Plot
"Lost City Z" receives positive reviews for an interesting and extraordinary storyline. Percy Fawcett is a middle-aged man who has devoted his whole life to numerous journeys. As a colonel, Percy repeatedly risked his own life. And at the beginning of the 20th century, all this led to a series of dangerous adventures that led him to the little-studied wilds of the Amazon, about which many legends still form. Throughout the history of mankind, many people dreamed of getting there and finding the mysterious city of Z, which was the capital of Eldorado.
Fawcett was convinced that an ancient and previously unknown science of civilization actually existed there. And he was determined to prove it to humanity. Scientists only scoffed at him and did not take the actions of the colonel seriously. But the traveler was not at all bothered by the opinions of those around him. And now he is waiting for the most dangerous adventure in his life. Will he eventually manage to find irrefutable evidence, as well as return home safe and sound?
Primary source
As we wrote above, this plot is based on real events that took place about a hundred years ago. Nevertheless, most of the story is still based on the work of the same name by David Grann. The book "Lost City Z" describes in detail the adventures of the colonel. It is based on facts known to science about what he had to go through on the way to his goal.
The painting "Lost City Z" receives positive reviews for the excellent play of the actors. Who had the honor to play the main roles in this film?
Charlie hunnam
The main role of Colonel Percy Fawcett was brilliantly performed by British actor Charlie Hunnam. Five years ago, he was a rather little-known personality, interrupting roles from not the most famous directors. And only the cult drama "Hooligans", which was released in 2005, could be added to Hannam's asset.
But closer to 2010, the situation has changed dramatically. In particular, the actor played a major role in the cult series "Sons of Anarchy", thanks to which he became a world-famous personality. Further, the Briton began to try his hand at Hollywood. He managed to star in the blockbuster Pacific Rim, and then become a permanent actor of the outstanding director Guy Ritchie. So at this point in time, Charlie Hunnam can be safely called one of the most sought-after British Hollywood actors.
In "Lost City Z" (reviews confirm this), he once again managed to show his full acting potential and outshine everyone with his game. Connoisseurs of creativity of this actor will definitely like the film.
Robert Pattison
Another relatively young actor who happened to become famous not so long ago. Moreover, initially Pattinson’s career did not portend something outstanding. This is due to the Twilight franchise, in which the actor played the main role. On the one hand, it was thanks to Twilight that he could become a famous person. On the other hand, after such films, actors rarely manage to get rid of the boring image and get more serious and interesting roles. However, Pattinson did succeed.
For several years he had a chance to play with several cult directors, among whom David Cronenberg stands out . After that, the American career began to gradually improve. Without exception, everyone notes the talent of Robert Pattinson, which he managed to show in “Rover”, “Star Map” and the recent “Good Time”.
In "Lost City Z", he again appeared before the audience in a rather unusual way of Henry Kostin. And now, from that cute teenager with whom he was in Twilight, there was simply no trace left. Before us is a really interesting character, which Pattinson embodied on the screen simply impeccably.
Sienna Miller
Another significant figure in American cinema. In the movie "Lost City Z", Sienna Miller got the role of Nina Fawcett - the wife of the protagonist. The actress is paid not so little attention. So the director was able to perfectly reveal her character. Until now, viewers have been able to see Sienna in films such as Interviews, Stardust, Cobra Throw, and Fox Hunter. So she had already managed to declare herself and fall in love with the public.
Tom Holland
The youngest actor in this film. But, despite all this, Tom Holland has been a leading American actor for several years. Now he is only 21 years old, but on the account of Tom's roles in such popular films as Spider-Man and Impossible. So, most likely, a great future will await him.
In "Lost City Z" Holland played the role of the son of the protagonist. Despite the fact that his role is secondary, the actor was able to fully demonstrate his talent and reveal the character of his hero.
Ian McDermid
Ian McDermid is one of the most experienced actors in this movie. Sir George Goldie in his performance was more than convincing, even despite the relatively rare appearance on the screen. Prior to this, McDermid managed to star in the second part of Star Wars and embodied the ominous image of Palpatine, thereby completing the iconic cult franchise. This actor is characterized by incredible charisma and a serious approach to getting used to the image of his heroes. But, unfortunately, at the moment, the actor rarely appears on large screens. So the film "Lost City Z" - one of the rare opportunities to once again enjoy its brilliant game.
Producer
James Gray is an incredibly experienced director, despite his relatively modest age by the standards of modern cinema. He began his career back in 1994, having shot the outstanding crime drama "Little Odessa". Despite the success of the film, Gray didn’t return to the director’s craft very often. Over the past twenty years, he has been able to create just a few films. This is due to the fact that it is independent, which is rarely trusted by large budgets. And if you look at the world gatherings of the "Lost City", then everything immediately falls into place. Unfortunately, modern viewers today are much closer to mass cinema than author's. So this film will appeal to fans of arthouse, and not endless stupid action.
The film "Lost City Z" (2016): reviews from viewers and critics
Despite the fact that, unfortunately, “Lost City Z” remained in the shadow of many larger projects, it definitely appealed to the audience. This is due to the fact that these days rarely anyone takes on such a difficult genre. To create adventure films, you need to spend a lot of energy, since you have to make movies in not the most simple conditions of the wild. And not every actor will agree to such an unusual experiment. However, the work of James Gray liked the vast majority of connoisseurs of the genre. After watching, many noted the incredible camera work, thanks to which we got the opportunity to admire the magnificent landscapes, as well as to fully experience this story. Also, the audience was struck by the acting performed by Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson.
As for critics, opinions are somewhat divided. The film "The Lost City Z" (2017) receives both positive and negative reviews. The picture, of course, traveled to numerous festivals and received good grades there. However, not all filmmakers and critics liked some protractedness. It seemed to them that the director had not finally decided what exactly he wanted to say with this work.
It was also noted that some facts were not true. To embellish the story, the director decided to remain silent for the sake of artistic components. But, as it seems to us, this is quite a common practice in modern American cinema. If someone wants reliable facts, then it makes sense to pay attention to documentary films. Well, in this case, such claims seem far-fetched.
Interesting Facts
Work on the project lasted for more than three years. This is due to the fact that during the filming several leading actors managed to retire from it at once. Initially, Brad Pitt was considered the main role by the producers. However, due to the busy work schedule, the Hollywood star was forced to leave the project. Then, Benedict Cumberbatch joined the castes. But he eventually decided to refuse to participate in the "Lost City". And only then this role was finally assigned to Charlie Hannam.
The director decided to go for a serious experiment and shoot a movie on 33 mm film. The complexity of this procedure was that the director could check the footage only after a week. So often this led to a serious increase in production costs.
For filming in the film, the main actor had to lose as much as 15 kilograms, as well as get rid of the abundance of muscle mass. During the filming, Hunnam suggested sleeping right in the jungle in order to better get used to the role. But due to security reasons, the film crew did not allow the actor to do this.
Total
For those who value a realistic and leisurely movie about adventurers, The Lost City Z, which we have reviewed, will definitely be to your taste. So we advise you to familiarize yourself with the picture in the very near future.