Review of The Lost City of Z (2017) by Patrick L — 20 Oct 2017

"It might be slow to catch on just like our main character but "The Lost City of Z" is an expertly crafted adventure drama with fine acting, great locations and beautiful cinematography".

DVD Movie Review: The Lost City of Z.

Date Viewed: July 27 2017.

Directed By James Gray (We Own the Night, The Immigrant, The Yards and Two Lovers).

Screenplay By James Gray, Based on the novel by David Grann.

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid, Clive Francis, Angus Macfadyen, Edward Ashley, Franco Nero, Harry Melling, John Sackville, Adam Bellamy and Daniel Huttlestone.

A visually stunning adventure epic to behold, "The Lost City of Z" turns in a compelling performance from Charlie Hunnam as British explorer Percy Fawcett. Based on a true story, Hunnam maybe slow to grab in this role but he succeeds in creating a protagonist who has big ambitions. Written and directed by James Gray (The Immigrant, We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Yards), "The Lost City of Z" might be too much for some viewers to consume but this film does so much so well.

The story centers around Fawcett (Hunnam) who at the dawn of the 20th century journeyed to the Amazon jungle where he discovered evidence of an unknown and advanced race of natives. Accompanied by fellow explorers and British army men, Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson) and Arthur Manley (Edward Ashley), Fawcett takes part in an expedition where he hopes to find "the Lost City of Z" but he gets ridiculed by his superiors at the Royal Geographical Society and the scientific establishment by labeling the natives as "savages".

The Amazon natives might be armed with arrows but Fawcett attempts to make peace with them and hopes to seek a friendship with the tribe. Supported by his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller), Fawcett returns time and again to his beloved Amazon jungle but his eldest son, Jack (new "Spider-Man" Tom Holland) has long accused him of abandoning his family. Percy later reconciles with his son and they make another trip into the Amazon jungle but their journey (SPOILER ALERT!) takes a dark turn when they run into an ambush and get kidnapped by a second group of Amazonian natives.

You might think that Percy and Jack meet their fate at the end but we still don't know what happened them. The natives drug them during a ceremony, they carry Percy and his son away and we never hear from them again. Based on David Grann's 2009 novel of the same name, "The Lost City of Z" features breathtakingly gorgeous rainforest photography, a riveting narrative and terrific performances from Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland.

Hunnam is believable as the moody British explorer who gets immersed with the tribe and the Amazon rainforest and Pattinson is engrossing as Percy's friend and fellow explorer. The film also does a great job at capturing Fawcett's courage, spirit and beliefs and this biographical adventure is a wonderous throwback to classic epic moviemaking.

It might be slow to catch on just like our main character but "The Lost City of Z" is an expertly crafted adventure drama with fine acting, great locations and beautiful cinematography.