Parker exacts serious performances from his stars, never winking and nodding to the audience or trying to be postmodern.

The gnawing arbitrariness of Ticket to Paradise cuts to the heart of why the Hollywood rom-com has been so deficient for so long, often turning to outrageously silly premises just to throw some obstacles in the way.

From Hawks to Ephron, the genre’s greats rooted their conflicts in differences of class or culture, a link to reality balancing out the glamour which Parker demonstrates no interest in pursuing.

“Ticket to Paradise” inadvertently proves that movie stars are only half the battle – you need a good support system as well.