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Sunday, January 15, 2017

MOVIE REVIEW: A MONSTER CALLS







































A young boy (Lewis MacDougall) befriends a wise tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) while coping with bullying and the terminal illness of his mother (Felicity Jones). He moves in with his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) as his mom's condition deteriorates, and uses his imagination and friendship with the monster to escape reality. J.A. Bayona (The Impossible) directed this fantasy drama. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Cast: Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Liam Neeson, Toby Kebbell, Ben Moor, Lewis MacDougall

Release Date: Dec 23, 2016

Rated PG-13 for Thematic Content and Some Scary Images

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min.

Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Juan Antonio Bayona’s A Monster Calls is an interesting fantasy parable with a very human message.  Bayona crafts together a beautifully gothic tale with some impressive visual flourishes peppered in throughout.  Its pace is decidedly measured and methodical throughout.  It might be a turnoff to some because it does move at snail’s pace during large portions of the film.   The monster and his tales are wonderfully animated through lush water colored animation which is as striking as it is effective. The cast lead by Lewis MacDougall is stellar through out and you’d think with the bigger names in the film, MacDougall might get lost in the shuffle but he never does. He turns in an impressive performance filled with melancholy and visible pain.  Its finale delivers a simple and 
straightforward lesson but do so with a strong emotional punch sure to leave many in tears.  

B+

2 comments:

  1. omg i love this movie. i didn't think it was slow. I thought it moved well and was very poignant

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ditto, I could see people complaining about the pace but I thought it was extremely well done!

      Delete

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