That people are anxious to be able to attend movies that do not fall into the genres of Comic Book Heroes, Horror, and Animation is made abundantly clear by the prolonged success of Ticket to Paradise. Still running after several weeks in cinemas, this rom-com does, of course, have the attraction of its two stars: George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Throw in a tropical paradise as setting and box office success is only to be expected.
In the interests of full disclosure, let me say at the outset that I am not a fan of rom-coms; “sappy,” “cheesy,” and “terminally cute” are adjectives that spring to mind when I think of romantic comedies. For me they generally have all the wonder of a sugary Hallmark greeting card. It is perhaps a measure of my assessment of the medium that about the only ones I can recall with pleasure are When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and Notting Hill – and I’m not even sure that the latter should be included in the genre.
If it is, then my favourite romantic comedy is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The 1966 film ultimately embraces a message of acceptance of the limitations of love and a recognition that some marital happiness is possible – though not before a great deal of black comedy and even more fighting between married couples has been shown, which is often the mark of romantic comedies. But people who like the genre are clearly not looking for reality, which perhaps explains the popularity of Ticket to Paradise, a rom-com that meets all expectations.
It tells the story of a long-divorced couple who discover that their daughter, who has gone on a trip to Bali to celebrate graduating from law school, has decided to marry a young Balinese man after a courtship of a few weeks.
Determined to stop their daughter from making what they are certain is a huge mistake, the parents decide to stop the marriage by reluctantly joining forces and flying to Bali to engineer an intervention.
That they are divorced allows for a great deal of sniping – some of it mildly amusing. That two people as attractive as Clooney and Roberts can ultimately not be attracted to each other is impossible. That all difficulties will be resolved is guaranteed. And that everyone will be able to leave the theatre feeling optimistic is inevitable.
Rom-com fans will be glad they bought a ticket to Paradise, although I am not of their number. I found the film a ticket to boredom, tediously prolonged with its lengthy cliched plotline. It certainly did little to make me want to paddle in the shallows of other rom-coms, though it will probably do wonders for the Balinese tourist industry.
The plotline is often incredible and always presented in a framework of exotic glamour. The stars do their best to remain attractively charming, though frequently the adults are portrayed as considerably less mature than the young people.
In short, it is a textbook rom-com, which those who like this sort of thing are welcoming warmly. And in a world of turmoil and problems, perhaps some escapist magic is a good thing for those who can surrender to the spell.
