Winner of Best Director at Cannes, Miguel Gomes' latest period piece dramedy is the work of a filmmaker with a truly unique conception of cinematic grammar. Split into two mirroring halves, Grand Tour is sumptuous and enchanting, a cracked adventure yarn with its own fairy tale logic. The first part follows Edward, a haute British civil servant who is intent on fleeing his impending commitment to his fiancée, Molly, hopping through a number of colonized Asian countries and cultures. Then we double back and join Molly's journey as she is hot on his heels, undeterred and tracking his movements every step of the way, with a gumption that stands in stark contrast to Edward's cowardice. There’s plenty of tragicomic potential in that set up alone, but Gomes has much more on his mind, which comes out in the many modern-day scenes that break up the dueling narratives. As fun as it is to watch this functionary and his betrothed careen through Asia, the long shadow of European colonialism looms over their madcap misadventures. Grand Tour is whimsical, boldly stylized, thematically ambitious, and like nothing else you'll see this year. ~OO