April 11, 2025
FILM: GRAND TOUR
DIRECTED BY: MIGUEL GOMES
STARRING: GONCALO WADDINGTON, CRISTA ALFAIATE, CLAUDIO DA SILVA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Portuguese director Miguel Gomes won the Best Director prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for Grand Tour. It’s a very unusual story that is original and audacious but at times quite narratively frustrating.
The film begins with several young males doing a series of stunts on a moving Ferris wheel somewhere in East Asia. Before, or if, we ever find out where we are or why we’re seeing what we’re seeing, the narrative turns to 1918 as a man named Edward is waiting in the rain for his fiancé Molly. Before her arrival, he heads out of town on a ship and then a train to essentially dodge her. Along the way, the train derails, which, I might add, is handled quite lightly. Edward makes his way toward Singapore. Intercut between his various adventures are scenes of the region in what seems to be present time with cars, motorcycles, and cellphones. Voice over narration provides further details as to Edward’s story and whereabouts.
Eventually the narrative switches to Molly who is determined to find Edward even if he sends her telegrams essentially telling her not to follow him. Molly is a fresh-faced, lovely woman. Her character evolves a bit in the second half of the film though providing hints as to why Edward may be running away from her.
The two actors who play these characters are very good and very attractive. It’s clear from the beginning that Edward’s look seems out of place for 1918. His hair is more contemporary and his clothes don’t fit the time period. Goncalo Waddington who plays Edward offers a very engaging persona in the midst of the puzzling setting. Crista Alfaiate is stunning as Molly. Her face is extremely expressive, suggesting the kind of non-verbal communication that was used by actresses in the silent era.
The biggest question though is why Gomes plays with the timeline the way he does. The footage included of contemporary Singapore, for instance, seems to be illustrating what the city looks like some one hundred years after the events of the film. It’s a thriving, bustling metropolis. Much of where we see Edward on his journey though is in a jungle on his way to the city. So, in essence the two worlds really don’t coincide. Yet, there is (or must be) some connection being made about the different time periods. What that is remains unclear. The current period is only presented as documentary footage with no related narrative.
There is also a curious motif surrounding performance, the stage, puppetry, etc. At several points shadow puppets are shown, attempting to provide an alternate visualization for what is happening in the past. There’s at least one scene featuring a man performing karaoke. There are also suggestions that perhaps much of what we are seeing is staged in a studio as we see what are obviously sets and crew members shining lights on the characters. What the significance is of all of this is baffling. Perhaps Gomes wants us to know that this is nothing more than a staged story being handed down to us. (Why do we need this reminder??)
Regardless of the film’s unclear messages, there still is an interesting narrative here between Edward and Molly’s stories and there are doses of humor that keep the experience from taking itself too seriously.
Needless to say, there is a lot to chew on with Grand Tour. Perhaps as Edward goes on his tour of Asian countries in 1918, we are also given a tour of the region as it is today (in color, by the way, instead of the black and white used during Edward’s timeline.) Stories and people performing are commonplace in both eras. Gomes gives us the unusual chance to experience both.
Grant Tour is now playing in limited theatrical release, including the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. I will be available to stream on MUBI beginning April 18th.
FILM: GRAND TOUR
DIRECTED BY: MIGUEL GOMES
STARRING: GONCALO WADDINGTON, CRISTA ALFAIATE, CLAUDIO DA SILVA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Portuguese director Miguel Gomes won the Best Director prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for Grand Tour. It’s a very unusual story that is original and audacious but at times quite narratively frustrating.
The film begins with several young males doing a series of stunts on a moving Ferris wheel somewhere in East Asia. Before, or if, we ever find out where we are or why we’re seeing what we’re seeing, the narrative turns to 1918 as a man named Edward is waiting in the rain for his fiancé Molly. Before her arrival, he heads out of town on a ship and then a train to essentially dodge her. Along the way, the train derails, which, I might add, is handled quite lightly. Edward makes his way toward Singapore. Intercut between his various adventures are scenes of the region in what seems to be present time with cars, motorcycles, and cellphones. Voice over narration provides further details as to Edward’s story and whereabouts.
Eventually the narrative switches to Molly who is determined to find Edward even if he sends her telegrams essentially telling her not to follow him. Molly is a fresh-faced, lovely woman. Her character evolves a bit in the second half of the film though providing hints as to why Edward may be running away from her.
The two actors who play these characters are very good and very attractive. It’s clear from the beginning that Edward’s look seems out of place for 1918. His hair is more contemporary and his clothes don’t fit the time period. Goncalo Waddington who plays Edward offers a very engaging persona in the midst of the puzzling setting. Crista Alfaiate is stunning as Molly. Her face is extremely expressive, suggesting the kind of non-verbal communication that was used by actresses in the silent era.
The biggest question though is why Gomes plays with the timeline the way he does. The footage included of contemporary Singapore, for instance, seems to be illustrating what the city looks like some one hundred years after the events of the film. It’s a thriving, bustling metropolis. Much of where we see Edward on his journey though is in a jungle on his way to the city. So, in essence the two worlds really don’t coincide. Yet, there is (or must be) some connection being made about the different time periods. What that is remains unclear. The current period is only presented as documentary footage with no related narrative.
There is also a curious motif surrounding performance, the stage, puppetry, etc. At several points shadow puppets are shown, attempting to provide an alternate visualization for what is happening in the past. There’s at least one scene featuring a man performing karaoke. There are also suggestions that perhaps much of what we are seeing is staged in a studio as we see what are obviously sets and crew members shining lights on the characters. What the significance is of all of this is baffling. Perhaps Gomes wants us to know that this is nothing more than a staged story being handed down to us. (Why do we need this reminder??)
Regardless of the film’s unclear messages, there still is an interesting narrative here between Edward and Molly’s stories and there are doses of humor that keep the experience from taking itself too seriously.
Needless to say, there is a lot to chew on with Grand Tour. Perhaps as Edward goes on his tour of Asian countries in 1918, we are also given a tour of the region as it is today (in color, by the way, instead of the black and white used during Edward’s timeline.) Stories and people performing are commonplace in both eras. Gomes gives us the unusual chance to experience both.
Grant Tour is now playing in limited theatrical release, including the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. I will be available to stream on MUBI beginning April 18th.