Slow-paced but well-directed biography! [+71%]

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2017)

If not anything else, James Gray's 'The Lost City of Z' based on David Grann's non-fiction book of the same name will make you look up the life-history of British explorer Percy Fawcett and what led to his disappearance while in pursuit of unraveling the secrets behind the existence of an early civilization in the Amazonian jungle.
This is most likely Charlie Hunnam's career-best performance, ably supported by Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland. A sense of poignancy pervades all through the film, even when Percy returns from his first few Amazonian expeditions in one piece. One keeps getting the feeling that there is something even grander to follow. The film unfurls at snail-pace, which might seem off-putting for certain viewers. The intimacy between Percy and his wife Nina is a beautifully-painted portrait. However, there are scenes that don't fit into the investigative tone of the film (especially the WW I scene, that barely adds anything except how it leads to the reconciliation between Percy and his eldest son Jack).
The movie does suffer from a few shortcomings other than the pace such as its wistful effort in trying to bind the elements of jungle adventure and character-driven drama, which does not always work in favor of the film. Certain scenes could have been processed better or avoided. Nonetheless, this is a film with its heart in the right place and is mostly able to hold Percy Fawcett's name up high, in the books of history.
Some subtle cinematography work from Darius Khondji, employing the right kind of filters based on setting, is one of the film's strong- points. Viewers who are familiar with James Gray's dilatory mode of story-telling will be able to gloat over 'The Lost City of Z' a great deal.
Verdict: Lengthy but whole-hearted!