Ticket to Paradise (2022)

"You know, for once you could back me up."

"I could.  But then I'd be wrong too."

David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) Cotton have been divorced for 20 years.  They hate each other and lead separate lives.  They are reunited at daughter Lily's (Dever) law school graduation and happily return to their own lives.

After graduation, Lily and her best friend Wren Butler (Lourd), travel to Bali for vacation.  Thirty seven days later, Lily announces that she is getting married and remaining in Bali.  Her fiancé is local seaweed farmer Gede (Bouttier).  David and Georgia travel to Bali, to talk Lily into returning home.

Gede's entire family is excited about the wedding.  David and Georgia give their blessing to Lily, while secretly agreeing to set aside their differences to sabotage the wedding.  Adding to the chaos, is the arrival of Georgia's young pilot boyfriend, Paul (Bravo), who has his own plans for the trip.  Can they enjoy the most beautiful place in the world and save their daughter?

This romantic comedy reunites George Clooney and Julia Roberts for their fifth collaboration, following 2001's Ocean's 11, 2002's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, 2004's Ocean's 12, and 2016's Money Monster.

The Good:

The film excels on the chemistry between it's leads and Clooney and Roberts do not disappoint.  The beer pong scene is a standout and got the biggest laugh from my theater.  They embrace some physical comedy, without veering into screwball comedy.

French actor Lucas Bravo has the thankless job of being both eye-candy and punching bag.  He does both well.  The rest of the cast also works well together and adds to the story.

The Bad:

No real complaints

Other Comments:

-The film is set in Bali, Indonesia, but was filmed in Queensland, Australia

-The scenery is beautiful

-The comedy works, without going for the cheap and easy laughs.

-A mindless, enjoyable film.  You know (or can speculate with some degree of accuracy) the outcome, but it is a fun ride.

Ticket to Paradise (2022) 104 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and brief suggestive material.

Director: Ol Parker

Starring: George Clooney as David Cotton

Julia Roberts as Georgia Cotton

Kaitlyn Dever as Lily Cotton

Billie Lourd as Wren Butler

Maxime Bouttier as Gede

Lucas Bravo as Paul