Title A Monster Calls
Poster
Year: 2016
Director: JA Bayona
Review:
This unique film is based on an atmospheric children's book of the same name. Bayona's visually stunning story is about a young boy facing a shattering future - the inevitable death of his terminally ill mother, Felicity Jones.
So a sadness runs through this impressive adaptation of the acclaimed young adult novel.
The viewer will feel everything for 13-year-old Conor, as he struggles to process what is happening to his mum. This film has a wrenching emotional authenticity to it, and a complex, conflicted performance from newcomer, Lewis MacDougall. I am guessing the difficult subject matter is the reason this heartfelt, uncynical film did not break through in a way it should have. A film about grief and grief’s journey is not really the stuff of Hollywood entertainment.
With his large innocent eyes, MacDougall, takes on this role with a confidence beyond his years. There is a scene in which Conor and his mum watch the 1933 version of King Kong. Rooting for the giant, Conor is stunned by King Kong’s defeat. The viewer can see his slow, dawning realisation, that things might not always turn out way he wants them to.
Conor's house is a mess but homely and set in a beautiful forest glade. It is in contrast, to the gloominess of his uptight grandmother's house - played well in a rather out of character role by Sigourney Weaver.
Conor has an imaginary monster, voiced by a serious Liam Neeson, - an ancient tree spirit that visits in the middle of the night and offers three different stories, told through rich beautiful watercolour animation, in return for a final return story from Conor - the story about what he is facing. The design of the monster evokes the magic and visual skill of Guillermo del Toro’s, Pan’s Labyrinth - del Toro was an executive producer on Bayona's feature debut, The Orphanage.
A Monster Calls premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016. It was released in Spain on 7 October 2016, and in the UK on 1 January 2017. In the United States, the film began a limited release on 23 December 2016, followed by a wide release on 6 January 2017. It received positive reviews, but only grossed $47 million worldwide on a budget of $43 million.
It had its wide release alongside the opening of blockbusters Underworld: Blood Wars, Hidden Figures and Lion. In its second weekend, it grossed $537,262 and in its third week made just $19,080 after being pulled from all but 42 theaters, one of the biggest cinema drops in history.
To this reviewer it deserved so much better. Be prepared for an emotional pull if you watch this rich rewarding movie.
Trailer
Rating
**Number of SUBs out of 10 - 9
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Thanks for reading my review, always up for comments and a chat about films and TV.
