The story of Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), a British colonel
whose disgraced family name prevented his Army advancement and who, in several
perilous trips up the Amazon river, saw a way to redeem it, seek insight into
the misunderstood indigenous people, and find a mythic lost jungle city that
would prove their advancement. Filmed on a beautiful canvas, James Gray’s
somber Amazonian adventure piece is captivating in segments, but languidly
paced and probably should have been drawn tauter while ultimately lacking resonance
and paling somewhat to the great jungle river works of Coppola, Herzog, or
Huston. Though Hunnam gives it an earnest go, I can’t help but think the
project would have fared better on another, stronger actor’s shoulders. As for
the rest of the cast, Robert Pattinson provides a quieting, stoic presence as
Fawcett’s assistant, Miller seems lacking as the worried, progressive minded
wife, and Angus Macfayden is memorable as a cowardly national hero who joins
one of Fawcett’s expeditions.
*** out of ****
