Movie reviews: 'The Lost City' aims to entertain, but misses the mark

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in a scene from "The Lost City." (Kimberley French/Paramount Pictures via AP)

THE LOST CITY: 2 ½ STARS

"The Lost City," a new action adventure now playing in theatres, pairs goofy, good looking actors Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in a movie about a romance writer, a kidnapping and a secret treasure in a satire of romance stories that actually is a romance.

Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a burned-out author of 20 romance novels featuring a Fabio-esque hero named Dash McMahon. Still grieving the loss of her husband, she took years to deliver the manuscript for "The Lost City of D," an epic adventure that mixes her true loves: archeology and history, with an exploitive romance angle that she has come to hate.

On the front of all the novels, Dash is "played" by the world's sexiest cover model, Alan Caprison (Tatum), a sweet-natured hunk with flowing hair and a sculpted torso, who will accompany Loretta on an upcoming promotional tour. He's dumb-as-a-stump, more Chippendales than Chaucer, but under the long, blonde flowing wig, is a good guy.

When the author is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail ("It's a gender-neutral name," he says.) Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes Loretta’s books contain real-life clues as to the existence of the legendary Crown of Fire, Alan springs into action. "I'm going to rescue her," he says. "I want her to think of me as more than just a cover model."

He enlists the help of Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), a mercenary with a special set of skills, to breach Fairfax's secret island compound. "Why are you so handsome," Loretta asks him. "My dad was a weatherman." Jack is the real deal, the kind of hero Loretta always imagined Dash would be, but this isn't the Loretta and Jack story, it's all about the author and her goofy cover model. "This is so much better than your books," says Alan about their real-life adventure.

Not funny enough to be a comedy with some action, and not action-packed enough to be an action comedy, "The Lost City" is somewhere in the mushy middle. The likeable cast is game, and we get the rare chance to see Radcliffe in villain mode, but the movie never quite gels. Too many jokes go south, and, other than the leads, no character really makes much of an impression.

The romance angle is slightly more successful. Big hearted lug Alan loves Loretta. The chemistry between Bullock and Tatum is warm, witty and welcoming, but it's not enough to rescue a movie that tries hard, but feels slipshod.

Brad Pitt slips in for an extended cameo that contains some actual action adventure and a few laughs, but this isn't his movie. He's just an added bonus.

"The Lost City" doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. It aims to entertain, but, despite a few laughs, just misses the mark.

RUN WOMAN RUN: 3 ½ STARS

On the surface "Run Woman Run," a new dramedy starring Dakota Ray Hebert and now playing in theatres, is about running, but it succeeds because of larger themes examining dissatisfaction, respect, ambition and family.

Hebert stars as Beck, an Indigenous single mom at a crossroads. Ambitionless, when she isn't binge eating, she's hopping in the car to check the mail… from the mailbox at the end of her driveway.

She is at odds with her sister and son, but when she falls into a diabetic coma, her life comes into focus. She finds motivation in conversations with Tom Longboat (Asivak Koostachin), an Iroquois icon and long-distance runner who won the Boston marathon in 1907, and died 50 years before Beck was born.

Whether Longboat is a spirit or a hallucination, he provides her with the inspiration she needs to change her life and try something new, such as marathon running.

"Run Woman Run" does a great job of blending the comedy and drama, the spiritual and the physical, in a story that is specific in its setting, but universal in its themes of embracing change, and making better life choices.

Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins creates a vivid, small-town world for her characters. It's a place where Beck's dreams have gone to die, but it's also a community that will ultimately support her when she begins a new chapter in life.

Filled with heart and hope, "Run Woman Run" may not have worked so well if the actors weren't so strong. Hebert is relatable and wonderful, and brings Beck’s arc to life. I don't know anyone who would drive to the end of the driveway to get the mail, but she made me believe people like that are out there.

"Run Woman Run" is a lighthearted film with serious messages of recovery from residential school trauma, self-discovery and the erasure of Indigenous languages. It doesn't shy away from the big topics, but at its heart, it is an underdog story about overcoming obstacles and believing in yourself.

LEARN TO SWIM: 3 ½ STARS

In "Learn to Swim," a new film about memories and music, now playing in theatres, first time feature filmmaker Thyrone Tommy tells the story as though he was creating a jazz riff. The love story may be familiar, but he bends the notes just enough to create something new.

The story of gifted sax player Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) is told on a broken timeline. His past affair with singer Selma (Emma Ferreira) is shot in warm, welcoming colours as the two create music and fall in love. Interspersed are colder, harder scenes from Dezi's present day. Bitter and alone, he is isolated from the world, unable to play music because of a jaw infection.

It is a study of Dezi's relationships -- with Selma, others around him, and his connection to music. Like real life, those relationships are often messy and chaotic, but even as the disparate parts of Dezi's story threaten to become obtuse, Tommy brings the story back into focus as the sax player's pain becomes a common thread between the two timelines.

"Learn to Swim" is a simple story told in a way that adds depth and complexity. Dezi is an interesting character, talented and troubled, yet still, often sympathetic. Olajide brings him to life in a quietly powerful performance that emphasizes not only the character's talent, but the love and loss that shaped his creativity.

Ferreira is an effective foil, but never loses sight of what makes Selma tick.

However, the real star here is Tommy. He and co-writer Marni Van Dyk create a story palette to paint a portrait of love, loss and beautiful music. It is a very promising feature debut, one that expertly balances performance and feel, just like the best jazz.