"Nothing will happen to us that is not our destiny"

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2017)

Many people will approach this film expecting to see a riveting historical adventure. While there is a great deal of compelling exposé of Percy Fawcett and crew's exploration of the Amazon, encounters with Indians, wild beasts, and so forth, as well as some tense battle scenes of the WWI Battle of the Somme, those people are likely to be disappointed in the end. "The Lost City of Z" is more of a philosophical think-piece and character study of a tragic hero than anything else. The story of how Percy Fawcett must find the Lost City that he has no certainty actually exists, even when it means probable death and neglect of his own family, is thought-provoking, but no more so than many other films of this type. We don't really empathize that much with Fawcett's obsessions, mainly because the film doesn't make the unexplored Amazon seem terribly alluring, nor does it really show what makes him so confident the City is out there somewhere.
Some plot-holes and ambiguities, but nothing just ruinous. LCZ is basically watchable, with some pronounced draggy spots. Yet, it lacks that necessary something it needs to make it truly satisfying. The whole mood of the film is somber in a way that's likely to lose much of the audience. There have also been some criticisms of its lack of historical accuracy. I'm not really sure of the real story, but like most "docudramas," LCZ should certainly be taken with a dose of salt.
All this being said, the acting by all is quite good, and Charlie Hunnam (Fawcett) is an actor we're likely to see more of in the future. Same for the cinematography and directions, particularly in how LCZ utilizes details of its setting in time: It really takes us back to the early 1900s.