Small budget, tiny cast, big heart. We've seen this plot a zillion times before, but the cast manages to pull it off. Danielle Chuchran is always appealing, and her physicality is an asset here. Nice way to spend 90 minutes.

I like the movie. I find it to be a nice and entertaining romantic comedy. It reminds me a bit of "A Walk in the Woods" (2015, directed by Ken Kwapis; cast: Robert Redford, Emma Thompson, Nick Nolte), insofar as in both films the characters seek to solve their respective personal conflicts through contact with nature, which is what allows them to discover who they really are, which they are their defects and their virtues, and the value of those things that they didn't consider important.

In "Love, Lost & Found" the journey teaches the protagonists to accept themselves, to know themselves better, and to reflect on aspects of their lives that their fast daily routines had prevented them from realizing. The further they go into the mountains, the further they move away from the city, from their work, from their social commitments, that universe that for them constituted their inner circle, the social representation of their self. Claire and Joey only measured their self-esteem based on their work success and the number of followers it gathered on their social media. Both of them undertake an introspective journey in which, the more they distance themselves from technology and their cosmopolitan environment, the more they penetrate into their own personality (the more outward, the more inward).

It's as if the city, technology and work have absorbed their personality and they have always lived deceived. Claire and Joey lived by and for other people, but not for themselves, until their accidental separation on the cliff made them think about what each really wanted. It's paradoxical to observe how Joey was more concerned with picking up his phone than going down to the river to rescue Claire. It's as if his love for her is summed up in a fictitious anecdote to gain more followers and satisfy those who already follow him. When he meets Nathalie he begins to stop recording so insistently and the turning point is marked by the moment when they both play throwing their respective phones to the ground.

I think this is well-reflected in the script. I even have the feeling that these actors also needed a getaway to the mountains during the harsh months of confinement, those days when every human being on Earth longed to get lost in some remote paradise free from the pandemic and its harmful effects.

Another notable aspect of the film is its photography, very well cared for. Those landscapes of Utah are wonderful, and the chosen music accompanies perfectly, being immersive, charming and perfect for the development of the story.

The length of the film seemed a bit short to me and I think it could have used 20 more minutes of footage, especially to add a little more depth to the characters and their experiences, since I have the feeling that the encounter with the bear solve too quickly the romantic adventure of the four protagonists.

The performing seem correct to me, although I notice that Joey Buf is somewhat forced. He's a bit overplayed in the first 10 minutes. He is portrayed as a young social media-obsessed influencer, funny, naive, clueless, boastful, likeable and eccentric ... perhaps too eccentric, and eccentricity seems like a stereotype applied to youtubers and influencers in film and on TV. Fortunately, he is maturing thanks to Nathalie. It's a shame that Nathalie and Joey didn't kiss like Claire and Colt, as I miss that romantic chemistry we saw between Marek and Dagen in the "Mythica" series.

It's a plesant proposal for a weekend movie afternoon. The plot may not be very original and groundbreaking; the budget, cast and crew are limited, but it's a brave production having in mind the circumstances in which it was shot. A very homemade-handmade rom-com. For all these reasons, I'll give it a rating of 6'5 stars out of 10 (6/10).

******

I simply just didn't like the characters so gave up. I want to watch people who inspire me to be better, not those who are distracted by the busy yet so often futile activities of today. Yes we all gotta do something with our lives, but in balance. Don't be so busy making plans that you miss now. The present is the only thing we can guarantee yet it is gone in an instant, so don't miss it like these work-a-holics do. The movie probably comes good in the end, but I need good people throughout a film to make it worth watching, and sadly this presentation was a bust for me. Also needs a wider age range.