Ticket to Paradise review by Fabio Agius

Romantic comedies are generally a hit or miss when it comes to entertainment. Some of them are really good and leave a mark in cinematic history but in my opinion, most of them are predictable cash grabs, with casting that appeals to the lovers of the genre. While surfing on GO TV I came across this 2022 romantic comedy, Ticket to Paradise.

This movie features David Cotton (played by George Clooney) and Georgia Cotton (played by surprise, surprise Julia Roberts) who are a divorced couple who literally despise each other with all their soul. They keep seeing each other, forcibly, because of their daughter Lily (Played by Kaitlyn Dever) which we see graduating as a lawyer and leaves for a vacation to Bali with her best friend. The divorced couple receive a phone call by their daughter which gives them a double shock, she is getting married in Bali because she met the love of her life after just a little more than one month and they have to meet again to go to their daughter’s wedding. The only thing that re-connects this divorced couple again is their willingness to foil this wedding.

Ticket to Paradise is the kind of movie that offers the expected kind of entertainment from the genre. The story is very light and straightforward with the occasional witty one-liners. Something that I really loved about this movie is the chemistry between Clooney and Roberts which make one believe they are a real divorced couple, loved the sarcastic comments against each other which were hilarious at times. Bali is a paradise in this movie, with all the jungles, mountains and its beautiful culture. The Balinese customs are amazingly different from what we are used to and people are presented as very traditional, sometimes superstitious.

The music featured in this movie is very retro with plenty of one-hit wonders from the 90s, which looks like it has become a fashion lately. You can see the actors genuinely having fun in Balinese clubs, drinking, playing and dancing to the music. I am sure that there were many unscripted moments during these shots (pun intended).

Though this movie is no milestone or game changer to the romantic comedy genre, it is quite a good watch and I really suggest you give it a try.