The Loneliest Planet Review

The Loneliest Planet is a film that marvels its viewer with its depth of vision, its structure, and its potent imagery but feels more like a rough cut than a finished edit.

The film tells the tale of a young engaged couple (Gael Garcia Bernal, Hani Furstenberg) that is traveling through the Caucasus Mountains in the Eastern European republic of Georgia.They have a guide named Dato (Bidzina Gujabidze) who occassionally converses with them in broken english and points out different features of the environment. The three travelers are going about their lives when a major event occurs right in the middle of the film and the reaction to said event tears the couple apart and threatens to destroy their relationship. The simplicity of the story is reflected in its gritty style. The first half of the film is showcased in green pastures and the gorgeous areas of the mountains. The couple and their guide walk together as a group, engage in intimate activities with one another and happiness permeates the ambiance. A fireplace scene has the three teaching each other profanity in their respective languages. It feels like an exercise in naturalism and captures the simplicity of real life. However after the major event, the environment becomes arid, the green pastures are rare, and the characters barely interact with one another. They walk alone and silence permeates the environment as the film weaves itself to an inevitable climax. Continue Reading