Sitting in a casting director’s office, what an easy slam-dunk it must feel to pair up two of the hottest (both physically and commercially) actors in Hollywood right now. Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie in a romance film seems like a match made in heaven, but sadly not. These two have the chemistry of two people put together for a group project.

On his way to a friend’s wedding, David (Colin Farrell) receives a rental car with an unusual GPS. At the wedding, he meets Sarah (Margot Robbie), who also has the same device. Together, they embark on a journey, reliving moments from their lives, coming to understand that those experiences shaped who they are today, and realising they were meant for each other.

From the writer of The Menu, A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey promised the same kind of cutting-edge genre-blending that The Menu delivered so effortlessly. Instead of horror-comedy, this time the focus is fantasy-romance. But the problem is that the film is so unbelievably odd that it’s hard to believe in the characters or the situations they’ve experienced, let alone accept that they’re soulmates. The script is packed with dialogue that often sounds as though it was written by someone who has never heard real people speak. Still, there is a late sequence where each character relives exactly what they need in order to move past their childhood trauma. With two scenes running parallel to each other, it’s genuinely moving, but once the characters reunite, you’re reminded of all the film’s flaws.

Director Kogonada is excellent at crafting aesthetically pleasing shots. This was most evident in his debut, Columbus, which used its setting in Columbus, Ohio, to highlight the city’s architectural beauty. In A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey, Kogonada and cinematographer Benjamin Loeb lean into fantasy through shot composition and framing, placing doors to the past in the most mundane of spaces. The result is undeniably beautiful to look at, even if the film built around it leaves much to be desired.

Farrell and Robbie are strong actors in other projects, but the script does them no favours here. Their lack of chemistry is apparent, as their acting styles clash. If the roles had gone to, say, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, the film would feel vastly different and far more engaging; their natural chemistry would sell the idea of soulmates instantly. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Farrell and Robbie.

This film may not be very good, but it is at least original—something studios rarely green-light these days. A few moments genuinely moved me, but far too often I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. Still, it may be worth a watch for its uniqueness alone.