A widely accepted truth holds that any dedicated rom-com enthusiast must seek a Laura Dern-gets-her-groove-back type of movie, and Netflix has precisely fulfilled this expectation with Lonely Planet. This new production by Erin Brockovich scriptwriter Susannah Grant stars Dern as a writer who travels to Morocco for a writing retreat and encounters a charming young man named Liam Hemsworth (or whatever his name is in the flick; I’ll refer to him as Liam Hemsworth). Fans of May-December romance, take note! Let’s embark on this journey, shall we?
- When a film opens with that familiar “ding” sound one hears on an aircraft, you know the main character is venturing out.
- In a literal sense.
- We are nearing Marrakech, Morocco!
- Thus far, no appearance of the Global South yellow filter, thankfully.
- Laura Dern! Her voice echoing her “ISAIDTHANKYOOOOOOOU” from Big Little Lies resonates within me every time I spot her.
- Sheep! Blocking the path! Though not as thrilling as seeing Laura Dern, still quite fascinating.
- Oh dear, Laura Dern’s luggage is missing.
- Opting out of a press trip’s first-night dinner due to fatigue is highly relatable, indeed.
- Just teasing! Please don’t overlook me for future press trips, media influencers!
- Look, it’s Liam Hemsworth! Accompanied by a significant other! Not Laura Dern, though!
- The shirt he’s donned is dangerously henley-like, but a second glance reveals it’s a polo.
- Sounds like Laura Dern is entrenched in a challenging divorce, or perhaps it concluded already? Either way, some man is quite irate with her.
- Let’s dive into the spirit of Eat Pray Love, dear friend!
- Actually, maybe we should bypass the “pray” part.
- Diana Silvers as anyone’s romantic prospect besides Kaitlyn Dever does bother me.
- Her chunky highlights, however, are quite appealing, I must admit.
- So is Liam Hemsworth a fellow writer? Or just unusually supportive of his partner?
- A guy who dismisses an Ambien because of a scheduled call? No fun! Leave him!
- Not clear what this call entails, but I gather it bears significance.
- Oh, Liam and Laura are encountering one another!
- Remarkably, even their names complement each other nicely.
- An irritating journalist on a press trip? That’s me!
- “I see your face in bed a lot,” followed by the girlfriend revelation? Really, Liam!
- This statement evokes SATC’s Sam Jones’ grievance with men boasting about their girlfriends promptly. We get it, dude!
- My goodness, this village is idyllic.
- Laura Dern is tailor-made for quoting Flaubert in a film.
- Liam, with his four sisters, clearly marks himself as a Decent Person.
- Sorry, my newly adopted puppy was causing chaos, so I missed the narrative foundation of Laura and Liam’s meet-cute, though things seem to be evolving smoothly.
- Oh, Diana Silvers, Liam’s girlfriend, is an ardent admirer of Laura’s works. Intriguing.
- Laura, do not travel (especially not overseas) if a touch of background yelling discomforts you!
- Perhaps I’m just complacent, having accustomed myself to writing amidst the clamor of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, to be fair.
- Oh, fascinating, Liam’s career involves…coal extraction, somehow.
- “Clean coal,” LOL.
- You writerly women out there, heed this advice: Refrain from bringing your extraction-industry boyfriend to a retreat, or he will be rightfully excoriated by all the socialists.
- Poor Laura parted with a farmhouse post-divorce?
- Laura released her debut novel during college? Zadie Smith-esque!
- Laura sharply critiquing Liam for his prior high school athletic jock persona is immensely satisfying and captivating to witness.
- I’m aware Liam posed the question “Why can’t you finish your book at home?” to Laura, but as someone who splurges $40 every alternate weekday to “work” at the local lesbian all-day café, I perceive it as a direct affront.
- Oh, a grand confession nearly took place!
- In the most appropriate and respectful manner imaginable, may I express: Diana Silvers looks quite dazzling in a sleeveless top.
- Liam Hemsworth, equally so, I might add.
- “Come find me when you’re in a better mood” is, without doubt, a remarkably mature and poignant retort.
- Liam is navigating the streets of Marrakech on a motorcycle, fueled by anger.
- That’s right, man! Immerse yourself in local sports! Enjoy a local brew! Embrace the camaraderie of local folks! Let go of the worries related to romantic entanglements!
- When in Morocco and (like Laura at the moment) refusing anything served in a tagine, one is simply a fool.
- I don’t care how satiated you feel! Take a taste of that harira!
- I yearn to recline on a float in a Moroccan pool at this very moment.
- I haven’t experienced a writer’s retreat firsthand; is this the ambiance they typically possess?
- Liam Hemsworth’s facial hair is perfectly proportionate to this movie, I must commend.
- Really, Liam? Those in the natural-resource-extraction sector aren’t the friendliest?
- Oh, he’s an eco-antagonist with a noble heart aligning with West Virginia coal miners. Marvelous :/
- Laura’s previous marriage with a sculptor reveals so much Meryl-like character coding.
- This fellow is rather inconsiderate to his girlfriend Diana Silvers, merely attempting to enjoy her journey.
- “You consistently find ways to ruin what excites me.” A harsh sentiment for a partner! Raise your standards, cisgender heterosexual men.
- Bravo to Diana for parting ways with him!
- Laura is attentively listening to their breakup unfold through her wall, indeed?
- Really, you’re offering to “stay out of her way” without departing so she can genuinely enjoy the retreat? I despise this man! Go frack somewhere!
- Ooh la la, a tantalizing Laura/Liam shoulder-kiss sequence.
- “I could fall for a youngster like you”?????? Wow.
- Liam didn’t appreciate that remark.
- Hannah Horvath’s partner called her “kid,” and she had no complaints, mate! Though perhaps she ought to have?
- Liam plans to set out for some “exploration.” Ugh.
- He invites Laura!
- Parasailing montage!
- Oh, others are parasailing. Our romantics are simply hand-in-hand on the shoreline.
- An intimate scene!
- A noteworthy one, to put it mildly.
- Sharing olives? Fantastic.
- “You realize I adore olives.” He’s already privy to this detail?
- The specifics of this man’s coal agreement don’t concern me in the slightest.
- Laura is heading back 🙁
- Unaccompanied 🙁 🙁
- Lone Liam by the seaside 🙁 🙁 🙁
- In truth, I cannot resist a climactic reconnection.
- I would indeed prefer if Laura Dern’s actual character Katherine Loewe’s surname were pronounced lo-WAY-vey.