Review of The Loneliest Planet (2012) by Carmen H — 25 Dec 2013

The Loneliest Planet is a peculiar and utterly fascinating art house drama. Everything people seem to hate about this film, I love about it. I loved how every interaction and every emotion was about subtlety and trying to interpret what the characters were thinking during their backpacking excursion through the Georgian wilderness.

I also loved how it was both a fascinating character study and also an interesting piece about relationships and how a single event can slowly tear apart that relationship. Many people don't like this film because they complain that there is too much wandering through the wilderness along with many long scenes, but I didn't mind at all.

In fact, I felt that it added value and an evocative feel to it. The direction itself by Julia Loktev is superb, especially with her many beautiful shots of the stunning Georgian wilderness and how she commands the trio of actors.

It's a film in which every scene, every interaction, even every little thing seems to have a level of importance and must be analyzed by the viewer. While many others found it horribly boring, I found myself engrossed in the story as the characters struggle with their inner conflicts while wandering the vast, beautiful, but eerie and lonely wilderness that surrounds them.

It's a film that not only made me ponder about what it had to say, but it continued to make me think even after it was over. It's a drama that I will no doubt view many more times in the future as it is one that I will truly never forget.

Unless you really enjoy slow moving art house films that are all about subtlety and interpretation, The Loneliest Planet will bore you to tears and it's definitely not a film that I would recommend to most people.

For me, it is a superb film and one of the best dramas I've ever seen.