What's most impressive about the film though, is how much it resembles classic cinema of yesteryear!

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 2017)

'THE LOST CITY OF Z': Four Stars (Out of Five)
An adventure biopic, based on the 2009 book (of the same name) by David Grann. It's about the British explorer Percy Fawcett; who disappeared in 1925, with his son, after trying to find a lost city in the Amazon. The film stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland. It was written and directed by James Gray; who also performed both duties on such critically acclaimed films as 'THE IMMIGRANT', 'WE OWN THE NIGHT', 'TWO LOVERS' and 'THE YARDS'. The movie has received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics, and it's performed modestly at the Box Office so far. While the film is a little too slow-paced at times (for me), I mostly found it to be a very well made and entertaining movie (especially for a biopic).
The story begins in Ireland, in 1905, when Percy Fawcett is a skilled British officer participating in an elk hunt (for the benefit of visiting Austro-Hungarian nobility). Although Fawcett kills the elk, he's snubbed at the after-party (due to his social standing). The next year he's asked to lead an expedition in the Amazon jungle (over a Brazil and Bolivia border dispute). While on the expedition, Fawcett meets Corporal Henry Costin (Pattinson); who was sent to join Percy (due to his knowledge of the Amazon jungle). While exploring, Fawcett and Costin discover evidence of an ancient lost city. They have trouble convincing others of it back home in England though. Fawcett then makes it his life obsession to return to the Amazon, and find the city once again (to prove of it's existence to the world). He makes multiple more attempts at it, over several following years, before his disappearance.
The movie is extremely slow-paced, as it starts out, and I had trouble staying interested in it. It does get much more interesting, and involving, about 30-minutes into the film though. From then on, I really enjoyed it. It's definitely not an action-packed movie, but it is very fascinating and intense (especially for a biopic). Hunnam is great in the lead; and Miller, Pattinson and Holland all give fine supporting performances as well. What's most impressive about the film though, is how much it resembles classic cinema of yesteryear (from several decades ago). Grann has definitely proved what a talented and highly skilled director he is.
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