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Well what a month it has been for the world of film. La La Land broke records by becoming the most awarded film in Golden Globe history, Will Smith made a dramatic comeback in Collateral Beauty and many are calling A Monster Calls a masterpiece. We went to check out all of these blockbuster films and more just for you...
La La Land
Rating 5/5
Worldwide Box Office $225,554,865
After all the hoopla about this film and the many Golden Globe wins, I of course had high expectations, but I’m happy to say it fulfilled them all. The opening scene was a little surprising because it launches in straight away with singing and dancing; a celebration of the beauty of LA. But once you get into the fun of it, it really is a unique cinema experience and probably one you’ll never forget. The character of Mia, played by Emma Stone, stumbles across jazz pianist Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling, and although it isn’t love at first sight on both sides it becomes a beautiful romance. Both characters are trying to achieve their dreams in Hollywood, despite challenges and set backs, so their relationship becomes based on supporting eachother’s dreams. But when Sebastian’s dream threatens to take him on tour with a band for years, Mia isn’t so sure this is what either of them signed up for. They both struggle to find out what it is they really want in life; do they want to go through the pain of trying to get their dream careers when everyone is telling them they can’t do it, or do they take the easy way out and get a job that pays the bills. The story is not only a romance between the characters but a celebration of the magic of Hollywood and the wonders of motion picture. It purposely has a 1950s style to it and dips in and out of reality in order to keep the magic alive. The fantastic soundtrack to the movie is what makes it so special as it lives and grows with the characters. It might not be everyone’s kind of movie but if you want something fun and something that reaches into your imagination, this is the perfect film.
Collateral Beauty
Rating 5/5
Worldwide Box Office $79,960,656
The name of this film doesn’t give the story away at all, which is unique but in the best kind of way because you don’t know what to expect. From the trailer I thought I knew what was going to happen, but with a beautiful plot twist towards the end you really can’t assume anything in this film. Will Smith plays a successful advertising executive, Howard Inlet, running his own company in New York without a hitch until his 6 year old daughter tragically dies due to a rare form of brain cancer. Two years after her death Howard can’t get on with his life as he becomes a recluse and struggles to keep his business afloat because he is stuck in his grief. His colleagues and friends become understandably worried about him and how he will keep his business, so they formulate a plan to make him face his grief. They organise for three actors to personify love, time and death because Howard wrote to these asbracts in angry letters one night. Love, time and death show up at his door and force him to confront his grief, whilst he continues to push against opening up with anger. As expected Will Smith is absolutely outstanding in his role and portrays the grief of a heartbroken parent so well I could genuinely feel the pain and the effects of such a loss. There are twists and turns, ups and downs, it’s emotional and touching. I found myself contemplating the meaning of life itself after watching this astounding film.
Why Him?
Rating 4/5
Worldwide Box Office $110,807,792
James Franco shines in this awkwardly funny movie as he plays the hilarious 32 year old Laird Mayhew, a Silicon Valley billionaire app developer who falls in love with the much more conservative 22 year old Stephanie Fleming. They say opposites attract and in this film it couldn‘t be more true. When Stephanie brings her parents and brother to Laird’s house for Christmas, she quickly realises that Laird’s loud-mouthed, outrageous, rebellious attitude will not gel with her quiet, respectful parents no matter what. Her dad, played by Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston who is also known for his great comedic personas, goes head to head with Laird and doesn’t understand what his daughter can see in this complete and utter maniac. Some of Laird’s antics include getting the faces of the whole family tattooed on his back, not having any paper in his house (which makes for hilarious scenes when Stephanie’s parents first use the toilet) and walking around with no t-shirt on for most of the time he is with her family. It’s crude and you can’t help but feel for Stephanie’s parents, but Laird is also likeable because he’s such a character. The film could have been more laugh out loud funny and there have been lots of films similar to this in the past so that’s why it didn’t get top marks. But I have to congratulate Zoey Deutch for doing such a great job in her first ‘leading lady’ role in a film. She and James Franco had great chemistry which was fun to see.
A Monster Calls
Rating 4/5
Worldwide Box Office $40,919,166
A Monster Calls tells the tale of a 12 year old boy who doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions as he watches his mother die a little more every day in front of him, because she suffers with terminal cancer. When the monster, voiced by Liam Neeson, first appears it isn’t clear whether anyone else can see the monster but we soon realise that it is a figment of the boy’s imagination or dream world, though it seems real to him. It’s interesting to see the battle of grief through a child’s eyes, through Conor’s, because usually in films we see adults dealing with the loss of a loved one. But the confusion and anger came across so well in the portrayal of Conor that it is heartbreaking to see how a child is affected by his mother’s deterioration. Felicity Jones plays the mother and she is fantastic, but Conor’s grandmother, played by Sigourney Weaver is a character that the film would have still worked without; she wasn’t completely necessary. There are parts in the film where the monster tells Conor about ancient stories of kings and queens and the film turns to a kind of cartoon animation during the stories which was at odds with the rest of the film and was a little confusing. It’s a very touching story and we almost put ourselves in Conor’s shoes as we watch it, because he is the lead character. We watch him develop emotionally, thanks to the monster, and learn that it’s okay to have so many mixed feelings towards his dying mother. It would be a great film to help children who have been though this kind of tragedy, but it is far too emotionally distressing to be considered a children’s film. For adults though it’s quite spectacular to watch.
