Grand Tour Review: Miguel Gomes’ Black and White Odessy Leaves Audiences Torn At the Festival
By Arden Lawson
It was unconventional. This is sure, but if you want to be transported to a world of charm, eccentricities, and wonder, Miguel Gomes’, Grand Tour, may have the means to soothe your yearning heart. This is not Gomes' first film of this nature, as both Tabu and his trilogy The Arabian Nights speak to his propensity for abstract storytelling. While I found the film vacant of a punching plot with character development and action, Grand Tour fueled my wanderlust and boundless imagination.
Grand Tour follows Edward Abbot (Gonçalo Waddington), a British civil servant who is supposed to reunite with his fiancée, Molly Singleton (Crista Alfaiate), after seven years apart. Dreading the impending reunion, Edward decides to flee, sparking his “grand tour” across Asia. He begins in Mandalay, Burma and travels to various cities including Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, Osaka, and Shanghai. Throughout his travels, Edward encounters a series of peculiar characters, such as Molly's dubious cousin at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and an opium-addicted British consul in Tibet. The film’s perspective shifts halfway, following Molly as she haphazardly tracks Edward's path. Molly's journey is marginally more exciting, marked by her determination to reunite with her fiancé. She navigates through the same locations, bringing a more curious and explorative lens to the familiar settings
One of the standout aspects of Grand Tour is its faithful depiction of various places in the early 1900s. The film's remarkable ability to transport viewers to these different historical settings embodies the essence of why I love cinema. It provides a window into worlds and experiences. that would otherwise remain unknown to me. Miguel Gomes excels in immersing the audience in the language, culture, and music of each city visited by the characters. Each location is narrated in its native language, interspersed with modern-day footage.
Even with its charm, Grand Tour left me with some reservations. While the premise is clear, a man evading his fiancée whom he does not wish to marry, the motivations behind the characters' actions are not. It's unclear why both Edward and Molly invest so much effort into a relationship that neither seems genuinely interested in. Movies don't always need to focus solely on entertainment, but I would argue that they should contain enough elements to adequately engage the audience. In Grand Tour the lack of clear direction and rather slow-moving plot made it difficult for many of the audience members to stay invested. Grand Tour requires a certain level of patience, as you must allow Gomes to take you on his journey. You may be surprised where it takes you.
Awards: Best Director