*****
Struggling to cope with the failing health of his dying mother and the relentless torments of the bullies at school, Conor calls upon the help of a Monster, who agrees to tell him three stories in return for Conor's 'truth'.
I've always been a big fan of having a little cry in the cinema. You know, that moment when what is happening on screen is so deeply affecting that you can't help but close your eyes and feel those big, hot tears come seeping out from under the lids. I held back the tears for the majority of A Monster Calls, but in those final two scenes, I had become so deeply embroiled in the life of Conor (a brilliant Lewis MacDougall) that I couldn't help but weep. But in a strange way, I was happy to - the film had worked its magic upon me from the beginning, after all.
Yes, I would agree that it is somewhat predictable what the story's arch is going to be - we have the dying mother, a Monster who agrees to tell three stories, and fraught relationships that must somehow be overcome, and yet it is not the story that is the most affecting part - it is the manner in which it is told. With Patrick Ness adapting his own novel for the screen, the film loses very little of the poignancy and intimate thoughts demonstrated in the book, whilst director J. A. Bayona uses his eye for the visual to create a story that is filled with storytelling magic. Flitting between live action sequences and beautiful watercolour scenes (not dissimilar to when Hermione recounts the tale of the Deathly Hallows in Harry Potter), Bayona manages to immerse the viewer into the moral dilemmas of the tale without making it feel even remotely preachy.
The Monster itself is beautifully realised. Voiced by the silky tones of Liam Neeson, the Monster is based upon an ancient yew tree that Conor can see from his bedroom window. With kind eyes that can turn to fire in an instant, tendrils and roots that wrap around Conor and any space the creature might inhabit, the Monster is both tender and terrifying at the same time, much like the world in which Conor now lives.
Well, 2017 has got off to a good start with one of the first films to be released being such a beautiful and emotive one as this. With excellent performances, arresting visuals and a central character you can't help but root for, it's everything you could want from a New Year's movie. Just don't forget to take your tissues...
Comments
Post a Comment