POPCORN REVIEWSS

The title of the film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a specific allegory for life when viewed through the lens of Sarah and David. It is an immediate reminder of the present times when the duo bump into each other at a mutual friend’s wedding, wherein the conversations are awkward to begin with. Sarah resists the idea of marriage before asking David to marry her, something that takes him aback while contemplating a future with her. In the very next moment, Sarah asks David for a dance, only to be turned down – a reminder on how rigid David has become over a period of time, unintentionally revelling in his loneliness. For Sarah, loneliness is used as a medium of selfcare, using it as a form of escapism from relationships, wherein you see her switching partners.

If you were to look at the larger context, the allegory of life also lies in the past for David and Sarah, both of whom are carrying an emotional baggage of sorts that prevents them from fully embracing the present! Hence, the symbolic journey of highs and lows is the underlying messaging for the duo who would soon entail on a whimsical journey of suppressed feelings and some bittersweet moments of nostalgia.

It is interesting how the fantasical nature of the narrative is similar to reading a novel wherein you don’t quite question, but instead embrace the whimsical drama. Here, the medium of time travel is initiated through a car (which both Sarah and David rent from a car agency), wherein the little AI map navigating voiceover acts as a cupid of sorts for the duo (independently speaking). The ask is simple, to bring Sarah and David together on a big bold beautiful journey while reopening several magical doors from the past – be it a museum that was frequently visited by Sarah and her mom, or a visit to the highschool for David as a 15 year old who fell in love with his classmate during a broadway performance, or even a revisit to the hospitals for David and Sarah for their parents.

The concept of a magical door has a deeper relevance in the drama, almost establishing a journey of sorts for a couple in a budding relationship. Think of an arranged marriage between a couple that prompts them to exchange important moments in their lives – almost taking the other person on a little nostalgic trip down memory lane. And this passage involves brief moments of warmth and laughter – be it a reflection of David witnessing his heartbreak from a distance, much to his amusement in the current setup, or the precious moments of Sarah with her mother that remain few or far between.

There is a deeper sense of grief lacing the narrative too – particularly with respect to the unfulfilled relationship that Sarah shared with her mother who has now expired, or with respect to David who was always less expressive towards his father. And this is where the characters find a deeper meaning to their trauma – something that is far more than sharing awkward conversations at a wedding or whilst sharing a burger. For Sarah, it is more of regret – of not spending more time with her mother before her death while always taking her presence for granted. For David, it is about suppressed emotions of love – of his inability to express his love for his father, something that he is more self aware of in current times (also because with age you begin to understand your parents better, they are as flawed or confused as you are, even if they choose to be resilent). And interestingly, this trauma acts as a mental block for the duo too!

There is something spiritual about being in a relationship that stems out from a bout of loneliness – as ironic as that may sound. Here, Sarah did use her loneliness as a defence mechanism – deliberately cheating in order to keep people away from her, given her own insecurity of losing a loved one (read : her mom). For David, this very medium of loneliness was a way of life stemming from the idea of his suppressed feelings, so much so that he would outgrow the love for a person simply because his mind would revel with the idea of continuing to be lonely (given how his mother had left him briefly, and staying with his dad under the influence of his inexpressive quest for love meant being lonely even with someone he knew). It is a very specific issue that in a way also doesn’t tie itself well to the narrative particularly with the transformation of the characters – despite there being a bout of second chances and the ability of the two individuals to relive the portions of their past (which did make me teary-eyed). The current state of the two individuals is faintly used as a medium of laughs, in this genre-shifting car journey that falls short at its finishing line. But given that the emotions hit you, the journey is much sweeter than its final destination that felt, all but too convenient for my liking.