The Loneliest Planet Review: Tedious Travelogue Drama

The Loneliest Planet is an intriguing behavioral study. The chemistry between the lead characters is believable. Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg provide great performances that looked natural on screen. The locations are wonderful, which help hold the audience’s attention that is likely to stray considering its extreme subtleties.

On the surface, the film is simply about a young couple on a backpacking trip, accompanied by a local tour guide. Repetitive sequences of long takes and sparse dialogue set against the backdrop of stunning landscapes take up the duration of the film.

Just when your patience is about to expire something happens. One mere gesture that corrects itself in just over a minute, sends a ripple to the couple’s relationship. The couple is tested, and their notions about each other are challenged.

The Loneliest Planet is repetitive and wearisome. There is something here about what a woman expects from a man in a relationship and the haunting effects of lack of communication. But it’s distant characters and drawn-out exposition robs it of any emotional impact to make the running time rewarding.