Just perfect...

Good concept, poorly executed.

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The title was intriguing and sufficient for me to see this movie. An added impetus was a review I'd read in a major online media outlet. The bonus was - once again - seeing Gael Garcia Bernal: now as Alex, a back packer paired with Hani Furstenberg as Nica, his companion and soon wife-to-be. The overarching pleasure was the sublime scenery of the Georgian steppes where the movie was made.This is a visual story. There is minimum dialog, much of which is in Georgian (or some other language) that remains un-translated for viewers; which means you must carefully watch body language and context to elicit meaning. Only Nica and Alex maintain sporadic discussion and conversation (in English mostly) about what they are doing, thinking and planning. The remainder - much of the movie - is silent except for the sounds of solitary silence and an enigmatically plaintive score which is most often used with long static takes where little happens. Or so it would seem to the unwary viewer.After much walking, watching, listening and occasional talking, the back-packers and their guide, Dato (Bidzina Gudjabidze) suddenly meet another party of local people. A long conversation ensues between Dato and an older man of the other group. Suddenly and violently, a shocking act occurs which fundamentally alters the relationship between Nica and Alex. Thereafter, the mood, tone and truth of their relationship remains in visually serious jeopardy until the enigmatic end. Indeed, one could argue their relationship was gone, lost, even dead absolutely. But, the viewer cannot be certain.There are few movies like this one; which means very few will watch it through - perhaps in a similar way that few viewers found favor with Gerry (2002) in which two guys get lost in a wilderness and walk, and walk, and walk... but where one dies. Which metaphorically mirrors the perilous strain of the Alex-Nica relationship during the second and final act: Is mutual trust destroyed? Is love gone? Will the couple marry? The final scene leaves much to each viewer's interpretation and opinion.For me, the best aspect of the story is that much is said without words; which attests to excellent acting and direction. That should not disappoint the viewer - simply because in our each-daily interactions with others, we all rely at times upon a look, a gesture, a hint, a murmur, a cough or other non-verbal signal to communicate with a loved one. And look - truly look: if the walking tests your patience, just take in the gorgeous grandeur of the Georgian geography. And enjoy....And why The Loneliest Planet? Well, surely, that's the planet where you're all alone. Who ever wants to go there?Give this one eight out of ten. Recommended for all.April 6th, 2014.

Is there a reason to like this movie? I can't find one and am surprised by those who do. What is pictured is two young characters who like to walk through rugged terrain, play word games, have sex in the dark, and stay trim. Do I have a reason to like either character? No. What I heard was inane dialog, heavy music as if something was going to happen and doesn't, very little sound of any sort to engage my ears. Was I amused by the word games, liked the music, or understood the inane dialog and stories the players tell? No. I was shown photography of some rugged terrain in the Georgia mountains, a place that few have seen. Was I supposed to be impressed by the beauty and awe of this natural setting? The answer is that it wasn't something I'd seen better done in other movies. The movie seems to suggest that relationships can change radically because of an insignificant happening. But never tell us if they change. I'm still waiting to think of a reason for liking this picture.

The Loneliest Planet - The sophomore effort from writer/director Julia Loktev, this film follows a young American couple as they take a trek through the man's ancestral homeland in Georgia (the nation, not the state)'s Caucus mountains. I am unfamiliar with the director's previous effort (2006's Day Night Day Night) but regret to say that The Loneliest Planet did not really inspire me to seek her earlier work out. The problem lies primarily with the screenplay, especially the first hour, which plays more like high quality excerpts from someone's vacation video than like a narrative picture. NOTHING happens. Okay, that's an exaggeration, there are a FEW bits of characterization and foreshadowing that lend to the storyline. However, with a run time of an hour and fifty odd minutes, the movie's first seventy-five could easily have been cut to thirty without detracting from the (minimal) story that the script sets out to tell. Without the lovely cinematography contributed by Inti Briones, the first half of the film would be practically unwatchable.Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Hani Furstenberg (Yossi and Jagger) do respectable jobs as the vacationing couple, but are not really given enough dialog or activity to really show us what they are capable of. First time actor Bidzina Gujabidze actually outshines them both as their tour guide, his "local color" helping to bridge some of the more debilitatingly slow passages of the film, but even he is fighting an uphill battle. I can appreciate the point of Loktev's story, but it just didn't constitute a two hour movie. It might have made a nice short film...2 1/2 of 5 stars.Review brought to you by www.TheMovieFrog.com

This is a timeless story of life and death and love. I was sincerely curious to see why the talented Gael Garcia Bernal was playing the role of a quiet yet playful, sensual and adventurous Mexican-American traveling with his girlfriend through Georgia; An hyperactive eccentric, and cultured, red haired eastern European/American. At the beginning of the adventure. you can tell how they are melted with each other, they are sensual and playful. Their bodies find joy in every corner of the trip. Their intentions to travel into the unknown seem to be aligned. After they leave the urban sprawl, nature seems to have slowed their need for sensuality. The director tunes into Nature as well. The respect for long silences, gives the spectator an opportunity to appreciate the slowness and continuum of the ecosystem. The water, the erosion, an abandoned old house, the sound of a rock falling down the hill, the change in flora and landscape. This deep silence can be disturbing in the era of constant stimulation and brain noise. The purity of the film's message is appreciated in a time where we are bombarded by cultural biasses and empty dramas. The film allows the viewer to receive a simple yet profound story of life and death. It depicts a multi-cultural journey into the phenomenon of the clash of civilizations. An alegoria of a the hunter-gather phenomena. Of survival of the fittest. Of the need for nurture and human connection. And the present gender and cultural archetypes that are yet present across cultures.