Hunnam is great in an average film

Rating: Null/10 (9 September 2019)

James Gray's The Lost City of Z is a valiant effort but the film's subject, along with the manner of its narrative might make this a tough sell. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name this part biography and part true life detective story recounts the life and exploits of early 20th century explorer Percy Fawcett, who became obsessed with a mythical city in the Amazon that he simply called "Z". The problem with this film is its structure- the narrative seems disjointed. Also, the filmmakers could have done a lot more with the Amazon setting (Learn from Herzog). Strong production values and a capable lead performance by Charlie Hunnam offset some of the film's narrative issues but, although The Lost City of Z held my interest, it felt like a missed opportunity. There are tantalizing glimpses of ideas that could have blossomed (obsession, patronizing Colonial attitudes, resource exploitation) but were nipped in the bud because of time constraints and a determination to concentrate on breadth rather than depth.