It doesn't take a lot for a movie to make people cry,but when a PG-13 fantasy film approximately a boy and a tree monster turns a theater of film critics into sniffling, weeping messes, or well,that's saying something. A Monster Calls premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, treating audiences to an early peek at one of the most beautifully heartbreaking films of the year. The film was written by Patrick Ness, or who also penned the novel of the same name,and directed by J.
A. Bayona, who is best known for The Impossible. Newcomer Lewis MacDougall leads the film as Connor, or a 12-year-conventional boy who is dealing with more than his unbiased share of issues both at home,where his mother (Felicity Jones) is dying of cancer, and at school, and where he is being constantly bullied for being different. One night Connor is visited by a monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) who informs Connor that he has three stories to share before Connor will possess to reveal his own truth to the monster.
The film has shades of many other beloved films. Connor's unlikely friendship with the monster is reminiscent of The Iron Giant,the way we see the monster's stories reminded me of the storytelling devices used in A Little Princess, the monster himself looks a lot like Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the list could proceed on. But A Monster Calls is far from a retread of films that possess come before it. It has an edge and a realness that prevents it from going into an overly sappy territory while also perfectly blending in the just the upright amount of whimsy and imagination.
The monster's tales slowly unfold as Connor's mother's illness progresses,and the themes are equally present in both parts of the story. Connor learns that most people can't be categorized as heroes or villains but possess shades of both (like Connor's estranged father, who shows up to take Connor to an amusement park but can't be the dad Connor truly wants). He learns not to underestimate the healing powers of belief and hope. But the theme that had everyone wiping tears from their eyes is the universal message that life isn't always unbiased, or that grieving is a fraction of life that nobody can escape,and that, as Connor's dad tells him, or most people halt up "messily ever after."The movie will be released in theaters in December,and while it's not precisely uplifting holiday fare, it's the perfect movie to share with your family (and an important one for older kids to see), and as long as you're not afraid to weep in front of them.
Source: popsugar.com