There's something quite enchanting about a holiday romance. On vacation, we can leave our routines behind and discover who we are outside of them. Who would you be if you weren't at the office in the afternoon, but on the beach drinking a margarita? What if someone else saw you as the person you are becoming? What if they loved you for this other side of yourself?
A Tourist's Guide to Love has all the familiar workings of a standard vacation rom-com. When Amanda's (Rachael Leigh Cook) boyfriend of five years seems to have something planned for her, wedding bells ring in her mind. To her disappointment, and to the disappointment of his newly manicured nails, he's not asking for a wedding so much as a breakup. Heartbroken and newly single, Amanda seeks to move on and finds the perfect escape in her tour company's mission to go undercover in a foreign country. All set for healing and rejuvenation, she heads to Vietnam, eventually meeting Sinh (Scott Ly).
Director: Steven K. Tsuchida
Writer: Eirene Donohue
Stars: Rachael Leigh Cook, Scott Ly, Ben Feldman
Sinh is the tour guide for the company that Amanda's organization wants to acquire. And, of course, he is the man she is going to fall in love with. He is easygoing, adventurous, and confounds all of Amanda's expectations about this excursion. The rest of the film spends time as Amanda experiences Vietnam through a fledgling company with Sinh. A Tourist ’s Guide to Love uses the classic trope of a woman who follows the rules and a happy-go-lucky man who helps her get out of her comfort zone. These are the makings of a terrific rom-com, one that should be on the right side of cheesy, but ultimately doesn't work.
What could have been an interesting and compelling romance between two opposites sadly remains on the surface. A movie like this promises crackling chemistry and hot banter. Instead, the film develops the romance through dialogue that is meant to be insightful but more often than not comes off as corny. For example, when Amanda compliments Sinh on being good at her job, he takes a deep breath and says, “[I'm] savoring the moment. My first compliment from Amanda Riley." Sure, weak flirting can itself be funny dialogue, but not when it's trying and failing to be clever.
As supposed opposites, Amanda and Sinh rarely appear to be more than their contrasting characteristics: caring and free-spirited, respectively. Jokes and jokes revolve around these traits without organically delving into other facets of their personalities that subvert the tried and tested formula. In the absence of a natural intimacy between the characters, their romance isn't the swoon-worthy holiday love one might hope to escape into by tapping the Netflix thumbnail.
The movie could also have played more strongly on the conflict of interest between Amanda's work and her heart. Amanda takes notes from the tour service throughout the film, and conflict arises from time to time, such as when she avoids telling others about her work. But while the film frequently reminds the audience of this tension, it rarely shows it enough. So when it all finally comes to a head, it's not nearly as gripping or cathartic as it should have been.
Had we been on edge from the start through any more slip-ups and glimpses of Amanda's anxiety, the anticipation would have hit an absolute high. At such a point, the final reveal would have been exciting, maddening, and reassuring. The public knows what is coming, so it is essential to play with emotion and build tension effectively.
However, the film does a good job of presenting Vietnam beautifully. As someone who has never been to the country, the scenery is exquisitely picturesque, complemented by interesting examples of cultural differences. The supporting cast members, Sinh's cousin and grandmother, Amanda's boss, and other tourists, provide glimpses into different phases of life and create a more interesting setting.
From time to time, Amanda and Sinh can be cute too, like when their inside jokes come full circle in a rote romance. While A Tourist's Guide to Love's premise, setting, and subplots are interesting on their own, their potential remains under-utilized when put together for 96 minutes. If only we could root for Amanda and Sinh with ease, then it would have been a movie worth putting into rotation for many movie nights.
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