In terms of Hollywood royalty, being able to have Julia Roberts or George Clooney by themselves would be enough to pique your interest, let alone having both star together in the same film. Reuniting once again on the silver screen, this time is a romantic comedy, the two parents at odds must find common ground again for the sake of the daughter, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Thanks to Universal Pictures, and a special thanks to Screen Queensland for helping the production and offering Queensland’s shores and set pieces in place of Bali when COVID-19 caused issues filming on location.

Quick to set the scene, the opening act circles the three lives of the disjointed family as Lily wraps up her Law Degree at university and her parents excitedly prepare for her graduation. With a bit of heavy-handed dialogue that plays off the change of perspective, we get to hear both sides of the parent’s tale of love, triumph, failure, and divorce, painting both being the bigger person in their own version of the story. It was a fun way to set the tone of the humour to come, as one would brag about how they handled themselves, only to be contradicted by the other’s story in a blunt but well-executed witty jab.

With big shadows cast by her parents’ successful careers and the prospect of a stressful life as a lawyer looming on the horizon, a getaway to Bali with best friend and party girl Wren at her side seems to be the escape she desperately needs. In a predictable fashion, a potentially terrifying turn of events lands Lily in the lap of the charming Gede, played by Maxime Bouttier. If sparks could fly, they would have been a fire hazard as their infatuation with each other created the catalysis of the film, a shot at true love, one that sees Lily abandon her would be life for the chance at taking Gede’s hand in marriage.

For the sake of the film, the timeline was flying at a blistering pace, which was noticed and reflected upon in the writing. Georgia and David must both swallow their sharp tongues as they only had a plane trip to get their plan together to stop Lily from making the same mistake they did; getting married so young.

For a film that had two blockbuster names to carry to scenes, the surrounding cast was able to feed the humour, with Georgia’s boyfriend interjecting himself in the film as the “yes man” that David could never be. Sean Lynch, as the loveable and awkward Rob, helped win viewers over to David’s side, even when he was being as stubborn as he could be to stir up Georgia.

Lily’s character was the main focus of the film, or at least the lynchpin between all interlacing stories, but she wasn’t able to share in as much of the comedic chops. While well written, the animated and exaggerated mannerisms of both parents and their trojan horse plans to split the young couple continued to backfire and stole the show time and time again.

Gede and his family were a solid backing to the story with a loving culture and lifestyle to share that was much more calming to the high-strung nature of Lily’s parents. As the ebb and flow of the film shifted perspectives, it did offer each character to reflect on their true feelings, their fears, and regrets that slowly started to break down the wall that had been built over a divorce over 20 years ago.

I was frequently taken aback by the scenery and setting of the film throughout the story, as a pure marketing aesthetic, it made me want to bring my next holiday forward. The sunny and vibrant scenery sharing the space with nature and the whimsical tunes to sell the holiday destination was the perfect opportunity to set the viewers at ease. I can’t comment in detail about how accurately the representation of the Balinese culture was portrayed, but I can comment on how genuine the experience was presented. Beachside huts built with open front designs that exude relaxation, and the family-oriented nature and respect for their elder generations on display gave a definitive reason as to why Gede and this place won Lily over so thoroughly.

While not able to completely avoid the cliché troupes and the predictable closing act, I never fell into an undeserved eye roll moment that romantic comedies flirt with. The pace of the film kept me invested in wanting to know what happens next without dwelling on the shallow nature of creating a mid-film drama that the cast must overcome for the happy ending that would surely follow.

Ticket to Paradise offers a getaway of fun with light-hearted feel-good moments to boot. George Clooney shows his silly side in his animated performance opposite the clever and witty Julia Roberts. With beautiful set pieces and a loveably surrounding cast, it’s easy to kick back and laugh away at the misadventures of everyone on the journey to true happiness.

Written by: Shane Fletcher