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Saturday 8 October 2016

Exclusive Review – A Monster Calls

(Note: This film is not going to be widely released in cinemas in the UK or USA until January 1st, but it was screened at the London Film Festival earlier this week, and that is where I saw it. I’m going to try and avoid giving too much away, but as this is a detailed review, it contains a number of mild spoilers.If you want to avoid these, skip to the conclusion of this article.)


Who Made A Monster Calls?

A Monster Calls is directed by J.A Bayona. The screenplay was written by Patrick Ness, and based on his 2011 book of the same name. The Source Material was based on an original idea by the author Siobhan Dowd, who died of cancer in 2007.

What’s It About?

A Monster Calls tells the story of Conor (Played by Lewis MacDougall), a troubled twelve year-old boy from Britain. His mother (Played by Felicity Jones) is suffering from cancer, and her health is deteriorating rapidly. He struggles to get on with his often domineering grandmother (Played by Sigourney Weaver) and is harassed by bullies at school.  One day, Conor is visited by a giant humanoid Monster (Voiced by Liam Neeson) who emerges from a giant Yew tree in the middle of a nearby cemetery. The Monster tells Conor that he will provide him with three stories which may grant him the answers to his problems. In return, Conor will have to tell the Monster a fourth tale about himself and his deepest fears.

My Review

(Note: Although A Monster Calls is based on a novel as opposed to fairy tales or mythology, storytelling is a central theme, and a couple of fairy-tale type stories play a prominent part in the narrative. Therefore, I am publishing my review on this blog.)

I haven’t yet read Patrick Ness’ book, so my decision to see A Monster Calls early was based on the trailers, which promised a powerful and emotional movie. The film turned out to be every bit as moving as I hoped it would be.

A Monster Calls is a relatively short film, lasting only 108 minutes, but felt longer. This is not an insult, but actually indicates how ambitious the movie is. It tackles difficult subjects such as terminal illness and the need to express emotions, and features a number of epic scenes (especially those featuring the Monster, who was brought to life via motion capture) which contrast with a simple, character-driven story. There are many impressive moments, especially one involving a cemetery collapsing into the ground, which stands out due to the impeccable cinematography and the intense soundtrack. Overall, the increased scale of the epic scenes helps to make them even more powerful.

However, for all the epic moments, the best aspect of the film is the way that it says so much in so few words. The opening scene provides an indication of this, as it shows Conor preparing breakfast for himself. Without any unnecessary dialogue, this scene foreshadows the extent to which Conor’s mother has been rendered invalid by her disease. Later, in scenes where Conor interacts with his father (Played by Toby Kebbel) who’s arrived to visit from his home in LA, the pauses and facial gestures communicate the distance between the two. In fact, the two best scenes in the movie are done with very little dialogue. In the first of these scenes, Conor’s Grandmother returns home to find out that Conor has destroyed her room in a fit of rage. In the second scene, which I found especially moving, Conor finds his Grandmother watching a video of his mother teaching him how to draw. Both scenes powerfully convey the developing relationship between Conor and his grandmother, and show their struggle to come to terms with the circumstances affecting them. There is no dialogue because words aren’t needed to express the emotions which the characters feel.

Although it’s not very violent and has little bad language, A Monster Calls is rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 in America due to its often distressing nature, and this is especially apparent when it depicts the effects of Cancer. The physical effects of the disease are portrayed in some detail, as Conor’s mother relies on a large amount of medication to sustain herself, and loses her hair to time-consuming treatments which turn out to be ineffective. However, A Monster Calls is more interested in the effect the disease has on her family, particularly Conor and his Grandmother. That said, there are still a few moments of levity, such as a scene where Conor’s mother tries on a wig provided by his Grandmother. These humanise the characters and make their experiences feel more realistic.

The actors all do a very good job. In the role of Conor, relative newcomer Lewis MacDougall (Pan) feels like a natural- it doesn’t take long to forget that he’s acting, and whilst not flawless, he is often incredibly effective in a very demanding role. As the Monster, Liam Neeson (Taken) provides what is probably his best performance in ages, blending wisdom and authority with an intimidating edge – there are even times when the Monster can seem a bit sinister, which makes him even more interesting. Although many will draw comparisons between the monster and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy (another giant humanoid with a body made from a tree), the Monster feels reasonably unique. Another strong performance comes Sigourney Weaver (Alien), who plays Conor’s Grandmother, probably the most complex character in the film. She is very stern towards Conor at first, but as it becomes clear that she is also struggling to cope with her daughter’s condition, a bond begins to form between the two. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) plays Conor’s mother, and whilst the film is more focused on her condition than her personality, her love of drawing and vintage films make her feel like a realistic character, and Jones manages to portray her suffering convincingly. It is also worth mentioning Toby Kebbel (War Horse), who does well with a rather small role.

Also of interest are segments where the Monster tells Conor two of his stories. The first story, set in a medieval kingdom, concerns a Prince whose Grandfather and wife die, seemingly at the hands of the kingdom’s new Queen (the Grandfather’s second wife). The Second story, set in the 19th century, depicts a parson whose hatred for an “apothecary” (Medicine man) has disastrous consequences. The depictions of these tales blend watercolour animation, CGI and the motion-capture used to bring the Monster to life as he tells them. Whilst the animation and basic outlines of these stories evoke comparisons with all manner of fairy tales, the two stories turn out to subvert the moral certainties associated with the Fairy-tale genre, highlighting a very important message; There are very few people who are purely good or purely bad – most of us are somewhere in between.

If there is one weak point of the film, it is the subplot depicting Conor’s struggles with bullies at school. The bullies are very flat characters (especially compared to Conor and his family), and whilst the scenes featuring them shed light on Conor’s isolation and increasing anger, the resolution of this plot thread feels a little silly. However, compared to the successful elements of the film, this is a pretty minor problem.

Conclusion

A Monster Calls is a powerful depiction of how we use emotions and stories to cope with our deepest fears and problems. Whilst the messages and characters it depicts are pretty familiar, the film’s honest and moving portrayal of difficult issues allows it to stand out. The movie feels genuine – you can tell that this story means a lot to the people involved in bringing it to life, and this elevates it above more manipulative tearjerker films. The acting is very strong, and the directing is excellent. Patrick Ness also deserves praise for the script, which successfully transfers his writing to the highly visual medium of film. Overall, this is a film I definitely recommend seeing when it's finally released.

Once You’ve Seen This Movie, See…

Big Fish – A 2003 film from director Tim Burton, Big Fish is another film about storytelling, centred on a relationship between a parent suffering from Cancer and their child. Although the parent in Big Fish is a father, it’s interesting to see how the film tackles many of the same themes and issues as A Monster Calls.

Kubo and the Two StringsA Monster Calls is not the only movie of the past few months with a child protagonist to discuss mortality and the value of storytelling. Kubo and the Two Strings also has similar themes. It’s an excellent film, and defiantly worth a watch.

Pan’s Labyrinth – A fairy tale film for adults only, Pan’s Labyrinth is a lot darker and scarier than A Monster Calls, as it depicts the brutality of life in 1940’s Spain. However, like A Monster Calls, it depicts an adolescent using fantasy to cope with the unpalatable realities of their home life. It’s worth noting that the producer of A Monster Calls, Belen Atienza, previously worked on Pan's Labyrinth.  

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