A Monster Calls - Review
Director: J.A Bayona
Cast: Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, Liam Neeson
Based on the novel by Patrick Ness that broke records and hearts all over the world, A Monster Calls faced a titanic challenge of evoking those same emotions achieved so effectively by the book. With a top-notch cast and helmed by a director whose star is on the rise, all of the ingredients are there to concoct a winning formula - does this prove to be the case?
13 year-old Conor O'Malley (Lewis McDougall) is going through a testing time;his mother (Felicity Jones) has long been suffering with cancer and he has become a punching bag for a group of bullies at school. One night, he is visited by a Monster, transforming itself from a yew tree, that tells him we will be visiting Conor every night until he has told him three tales - and demands that Conor tell him a fourth...his truth.
The parallels and likeness between A Monster Calls and Guillermo Del Toro's fantasy epic Pan's Labyrinth are fruitful, although not distracting, is generating of a sense of deja vu. Both are inherently coming-of-age stories, with Conor and Labyrinth's Ophelia both wanting to save their mothers, but discovering that what they need is something different. Oh, and they're both guided by fantastical beasts through trials and tribulations. Despite the thematic similarities, there are fundamental differences as A Monster Calls, contrary to its title, proves to be a much less violent affair without an obvious or tangible antagonist - although no one can argue that cancer is the most barbaric and cruel foe of all. Just make sure to arm yourself with a healthy stack of tissues as your screening room's walls will ricochet with the sounds of tearful gulps, heaving sobs and mighty sniffles.
Those tissues all also come in handy to wipe the drool off your chin as you gape and marvel at Bayona's stunning visuals. As the Monster tells Conor his three fables, all encapsulating a unifying theme, they're beautifully realised and illustrated on screen, reminiscent of the animated sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Past 1, but with dashings of water colour. The purpose of the tales are a first unclear and their messages seem unrelated to Conor's situation; but as their intentions become apparent and pertinent, they deeply enrich the narrative. Contrasted with the harrowing scenes where Conor is being mercilessly bullied or he is forced to confront his mother's illness, the bright and artistic sequences almost feel plucked from a different film, but they show the power of imagination and how crucial it is in a world that is so dreary.
Towering Groot-esque monsters are matched by equally towering performances as the casting is incredibly authentic. Even though 50% of the four key characters (excluding the Monster) aren't English, their flawless accents would not have you believing any different and the splintered family dynamic is thoroughly convincing; from Conor's stern Grandmother, his caring but physically distant Father to his loving Mother. The real star and standout from the impressive ensemble however is Lewis MacDougall, demonstrating maturity beyond his years as a kid forced to grow up too fast and the innocence and petulance that comes with being a young adolescent. Unfortunately, A Monster Calls finds itself in a difficult position - often too upsetting and emotional to be classified as a children's film, but it may play too young for an adult audience. Regardless, Bayona's vision is too strong that it must be seen by any age.
An emotionally gripping story that can back it up with brilliant filmmaking artistry, A Monster Calls is a worthy adaptation of a perfect property. Just be prepared to weep. A lot.
EB
Cast: Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, Liam Neeson
Based on the novel by Patrick Ness that broke records and hearts all over the world, A Monster Calls faced a titanic challenge of evoking those same emotions achieved so effectively by the book. With a top-notch cast and helmed by a director whose star is on the rise, all of the ingredients are there to concoct a winning formula - does this prove to be the case?13 year-old Conor O'Malley (Lewis McDougall) is going through a testing time;his mother (Felicity Jones) has long been suffering with cancer and he has become a punching bag for a group of bullies at school. One night, he is visited by a Monster, transforming itself from a yew tree, that tells him we will be visiting Conor every night until he has told him three tales - and demands that Conor tell him a fourth...his truth.
The parallels and likeness between A Monster Calls and Guillermo Del Toro's fantasy epic Pan's Labyrinth are fruitful, although not distracting, is generating of a sense of deja vu. Both are inherently coming-of-age stories, with Conor and Labyrinth's Ophelia both wanting to save their mothers, but discovering that what they need is something different. Oh, and they're both guided by fantastical beasts through trials and tribulations. Despite the thematic similarities, there are fundamental differences as A Monster Calls, contrary to its title, proves to be a much less violent affair without an obvious or tangible antagonist - although no one can argue that cancer is the most barbaric and cruel foe of all. Just make sure to arm yourself with a healthy stack of tissues as your screening room's walls will ricochet with the sounds of tearful gulps, heaving sobs and mighty sniffles.
Those tissues all also come in handy to wipe the drool off your chin as you gape and marvel at Bayona's stunning visuals. As the Monster tells Conor his three fables, all encapsulating a unifying theme, they're beautifully realised and illustrated on screen, reminiscent of the animated sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Past 1, but with dashings of water colour. The purpose of the tales are a first unclear and their messages seem unrelated to Conor's situation; but as their intentions become apparent and pertinent, they deeply enrich the narrative. Contrasted with the harrowing scenes where Conor is being mercilessly bullied or he is forced to confront his mother's illness, the bright and artistic sequences almost feel plucked from a different film, but they show the power of imagination and how crucial it is in a world that is so dreary.
Towering Groot-esque monsters are matched by equally towering performances as the casting is incredibly authentic. Even though 50% of the four key characters (excluding the Monster) aren't English, their flawless accents would not have you believing any different and the splintered family dynamic is thoroughly convincing; from Conor's stern Grandmother, his caring but physically distant Father to his loving Mother. The real star and standout from the impressive ensemble however is Lewis MacDougall, demonstrating maturity beyond his years as a kid forced to grow up too fast and the innocence and petulance that comes with being a young adolescent. Unfortunately, A Monster Calls finds itself in a difficult position - often too upsetting and emotional to be classified as a children's film, but it may play too young for an adult audience. Regardless, Bayona's vision is too strong that it must be seen by any age.
An emotionally gripping story that can back it up with brilliant filmmaking artistry, A Monster Calls is a worthy adaptation of a perfect property. Just be prepared to weep. A lot.
EB
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