Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
It’s really difficult to categorise “Colossal” – imdb classes it as a “Comedy, Action, Drama”. Comedy? Yes, but it’s a very dark comedy indeed. Action? Hmm, not really… if you go to this expecting ‘Godzilla 2’ or some polished Marvel-style film (not that I was!) you will be sorely disappointed. Drama? This is probably the nearest match, since at its heart this is a clever study on the people and relationships at the heart of a bizarre Sci-Fi event.
Anne Hathaway (“Les Miserables”) stars as Gloria, a borderline alcoholic-waster sponging off the good-natured but controlling Tim (Dan Stevens, “Beauty and the Beast”) in his New York apartment. When Tim’s patience finally runs out, Gloria returns to her hometown to an empty house and the attentions of a former school friend, bar owner Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who clearly holds an unhealthy fascination with her. Borrowing an idea from “A Monster Calls”, at a specific time in the US morning a huge monster appears from thin air in Seoul, South Korea, killing people and smashing buildings in a seemingly uncoordinated and random way. Bizarrely, this only happens when Gloria is standing at a particular spot in a particular kid’s playground. Could the two events possibly be related?
I always like to categorize films in my head as being “like” others, but this one’s really difficult to pin down. It borrows its main premise from a famous scene in “E.T.” (indeed one also involving alcohol) but the film’s fantasy elements and dark undertones have more similarities in style to “Jumanji”. Then again, there are elements of the Kaufman about it in that it is as weird in some places as “Being John Malkovich”.
The film stays on ‘Whimsical Street’ for the first half of the film, but then takes a sharp left turn into ‘Dark Avenue’ (and for “dark” read “extremely black and sinister”). It then becomes a far more uncomfortable watch for the viewer. The metaphor of the monster for Gloria’s growing addiction is clear, but emerging themes of control, jealousy, violent bullying and small-town social entrapment also emerge.
Here the acting talents of Hathaway and Sudeikis really come to the fore: heavyweight Hollywood talent adding some significant ‘oomph’ to what is a fairly modest indie project. Hathaway is in kooky mode here, gurning to great comic effect, and this adds warmth to a not particularly likeable character. And Sudeikis (more commonly seen in lighter and frothier comedies like “We’re the Millers” and “Horrible Bosses”) is a surprise in the role delivering some real acting grit.
The writer and director is Spaniard Nacho Vigalondo. No, me neither. But he seems to have come from nowhere to deliver this high profile cinema release, and it would not be a surprise for me to see this nominated as an original screenplay come the awards season. His quirky style is refreshing. (Hell, delivering ANY novel new summer movie that is not part of a franchise or TV re-boot is refreshing!)
The film’s not perfect, and its disjointed style can be unsettling. While the lead characters are quite well defined, others are less so. Joel in particular, played by Austin Stowell (“Whiplash“, “Bridge of Spies“), is such an irritating doormat of a character that you just want to thump him yelling “Do Something you wimp” to his face!
I am normally the first to pick scientific holes in a story, but here the story is so “out there” that the details become irrelevant, and – like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2” – the film revels in its absurdity. (There is however a jumbo jet sized hole in the plot if you think about it!) But some of the moments of revelation (particularly one set in a wood) are brilliantly done and you are never quite sure where the film is going to go next. I was concerned that the ending would not live up to the promise of the film, but I was not disappointed.
Like “A Monster Calls” the film will probably suffer at the box office by its marketing confusing the audience. People will assume it’s possibly a “monster movie” or maybe a piece of comedy fluff (particularly with Sudeikis in the cast), but in reality it’s neither of these. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes for sure, but in the bland desert of mainstream movie releases, here is an oasis of something interesting and novel and in my book definitely worthy of your movie dollar. Recommended.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Aug 11, 2018
FULL REVIEW: bit.ly/SharkWeak2TheMeg
50 Ways to Lose Your Glasses
Book
Finding a pair of glasses you love is the easy part. Holding onto them--well, that's another story....
15 Minutes (A Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery, #1)
8.0
Rate It
Book
When ex-teen star Maizie Albright returns to her Southern hometown of Black Pine, Georgia, she hoped...
Amazing Daddy
Book
Join Daddy Panda and Little Panda as they spend a day together, sharing many special moments along...
Baby Bjornstrand
Book
Baby Bjornstrand tells the tale of Mickey, Marcel, and Cyril and their misadventures with an...
David McK (3372 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Jun 28, 2020
It could just as easily have read "Dumb meets Dumber"
Actually, now that I think about it: that's probably unfair: there's nothing dumb about knowing your audience!
(Loosely) based on the old 1980s arcade game of the same name, this sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson playing primatologist Davis Okoye, who - for plot reasons - gets caught up in what (essentially) amounts to a Monster showdown in downtown Chicago, with the monsters scaling tall building and destroying half the city in the process while the military vainly tries to stop them.
You know, just like the coin-up?
Basically, this a B-movie writ large, and knows it!
Stephin Merritt recommended More Bawdy Cockney Songs, Vol. II by Elsa Lanchester in Music (curated)
Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy #2)
8.3
Rate It
Book
Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his...
ECHO Academy (Dimension Drift #4)
8.0
Rate It
Book
“Christina Bauer has a gift with sucking you into a story and not letting go until the final...
Dystopian Young Adult Fantasy