Lost in the White City Review: Repetitive and boring drama

The White City tells the story of an emotionally charged love triangle set in the hot political climate of modern Tel Aviv. A young bratty couple take a winter break in Tel Aviv as an opportunity to exercise their creativity. But while Eva (Haley Bennett) writes poetry and parties with friends, Kyle (Thomas Dekker) works on a film which expresses his own confused sexuality with Avi, a young ex-soldier; drawing Avi further into the couple’s complex relationship. The White City presents a new slant on the love triangle genre, with the backdrop of Tel Aviv as a cultural counterpoint to the American couple’s life.

Screenwriter Tanner King Barklow clearly intends this low-budget drama as a critique of Americans' ignorance of other cultures, portraying the leads as unwaveringly selfish, crass, and immature. Unfortunately he makes his point too well; the couple are simply insufferable, and their ongoing romantic strife isn't especially interesting. The plot becomes repetitive and boring despite handful party scenes which have the intention of elevating the drama.

Actions and emotions are thrown into the fire throughout the course of the film, but the method doesn't work in the film as well as it works on the paper. Problems in the narration arises as Avi and Eva entangle themselves in a regretful affair, and are caught by Kyle. Yet, the act is forgiven, and Avi agrees to come along on an excursion to Berlin, Germany so that Kyle can complete his film. As we head to the ending, the three young people and two friends are hanging out happily, and enjoying Kyle's intriguing shots at an outdoor cafe, their fates are to be determined due to an abandoned knapsack. I firmly believe that the screenwriter and the director intended for a viewer to have a thousand and one conclusions to this ending aspect  of the movie, but unfortunately, I didn't have any, and as the movie finished, I was glad it finally ended.