By: Russ Matthews
Hollywood is trying to find the right combination of romantic comedies again.
Since Netflix and Hallmark churn out more predictable and anemic storylines within this genre, having these films taken seriously takes time and effort. As Chris Evans attempts to find his place in the world since his Marvel Universe exit and Ana de Armas’ star continues to rise, this seems like a combination that could save this film category. Yet, they choose to take the less conventional route to connect these two on screen with a romantic comedy that has more action than most Russo Brothers productions.
Rocketman’s director Dexter Fletcher takes on this star-studded adventure that is less than conventional for this film style. Cole Turner (Evans) is a farmer who peddles his honey at the local farmer’s market when he meets the mysterious Sadie Rhodes (de Armes) one day. Initially, the pair do not have any chemistry, but eventually they break through the tension between them and go out for coffee. This leads to a wonderful day of romance that ends with exchanging numbers and hopes for the future.
Except as Cole reaches out to his newfound love, she does not answer his multiple text messages. He discovers where she is in the world through a technological twist and decides to surprise her by travelling to London. Yet, this places him in the middle of a world of espionage that puts a target on his back and jeopardises Sadie’s operation as a CIA agent. Cole’s romantic gesture leads to a worldwide adventure threatening their lives and the balance of world powers.
Stars Lacking Chemistry
For those in the dating world, there are those moments when you know things will not work out in a relationship. In Ghosted, they manage to throw two beautiful people together in a less-than-typical setup for romance with so much potential. Still, it never moves out of the awkward stage. The problem with Chris Evans working so hard to break free from his Captain America persona is that any film involving action only cements his place as the hero. Ana de Armas is meant to be the film’s saviour, but most viewers are waiting for Evans to fight his way out of trouble despite her martial arts skills. Even though it would be less original, this film may have worked better with the roles reversed.
Yet, the lack of chemistry between the leading actors was one of many discombobulating elements of the film. Alongside the ridiculous casting of Tate Donovan and Amy Sedaris as Evans’ parents, who look the same age as the lead actor, there is the ineffective use of cameos.
In a nod to the comedies of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, this movie injects many characters meant as comedic amusement, but leads to unnecessary distraction. While it is fun to see some of Chris Evan’s friends show up on the screen, these visual sound bites prove to be story-speed humps instead of helping move things forward. These casting issues and cameos end up exposing the identity crisis of this production, as it never truly knows what it is trying to offer the audience. As this production attempts to fuse romance with action and a bit of comedy, Ghosted shows that some relationships were never meant to be.
REEL DIALOGUE: The value of words
In this modern era, texting and direct messaging (DMs) have become the primary form of communication. While emojis attempt to convey emotion, tone, and intent, these messages fail to replace the interpersonal value of an in-person conversation. The failure of this communication style is at the heart of Ghosted. This storyline shows the importance of words and how they can provide solace and healing when used effectively. Also, how they can cause damage when misused or ignored.
It is hard to imagine that the Bible could have an answer to the perplexing notion of the use of words and languages, but it does. At the beginning of the human experience, language is crucial for unity and can lead to pride. There is a fascinating chapter that involves the Tower of Babel; this story shows how human communication can lead to wrong actions. Yet, God’s solution to the problem of pride was introducing many languages.
At the heart of the film and the biblical story, there is a fine line between effective and ineffective use of communication. While the Bible points the reader towards the better path of using words, by following God’s direction for their purpose.
Take some time to explore the story of The Tower of Babel and of passages for effective communication in Genesis 11:1-9, Proverbs 21:23 & James 3:2-10
Article supplied with thanks to City Bible Forum.
All images: Movie stills
About the author: Russ Matthews is a film critic at City Bible Forum and Reel Dialogue. He has a passion for film and sparking spiritual conversations.