A Monster Calls Review: A Wonderfully Imaginative Tearjerker. The film expands nationwide on January 6th. You know those movies where an emotional moment sneaks up on you and you suddenly realize you need to dab your eyes while no one’s looking? Yeah, A Monster Calls isn’t that. This is the kind of movie where there’s absolutely no way you’re hiding this, so it’s best to just ride it out. This is a tearjerker of the highest order, which was maybe inevitable given that it tells the story of a young boy trying to overcome his grief for his dying mother. But the conjuring of tears alone does not equal quality filmmaking. Plenty of bad movies can illicit tears with just the right music cue. In this grief drama with a touch of fantasy (think Pan’s Labyrinth), director J. Set in England, A Monster Calls revolves around 13-year-old Conor, a bullied child whose mother is dying of cancer. Conor has been plagued with a series of. A visually spectacular drama from acclaimed director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Impossible”), based on the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. A Monster Calls screened at Fantastic Fest and hits screens in early 2017. A boy is visited by a monster at precisely 12.07am. That monster informs the boy. The titular monster in A Monster Calls is voiced by Liam Neeson but is, visually, a computer generated character. In such instances, it’s common practice for. A. Bayona proves wholly adept at crafting a tale of genuine emotion that is packed with imagination and sincerity, offering up a strangely cathartic fairy tale of sorts that never lets the fantasy overwhelm the character drama. Based on the novel of the same name by Patrick Ness, who proves to be a skilled screenwriter as well in adapting his own book here, A Monster Calls is set in present- day England and revolves around a 1. Conor O’Malley, played with a stunning maturity and authenticity by newcomer Lewis Mac. Dougall. Conor’s mother (Felicity Jones) is undergoing the final stages of chemotherapy, and as it’s become clear that his mother’s condition is quickly worsening, Conor has trouble coming to terms with his grief. An artist with a knack for drawing fantastical creatures, Conor is visited one night by the giant tree from the neighboring graveyard, who stands up and takes form in violent fashion, approaching Conor’s window with purpose. Image via Focus Features. The Monster, voiced by a thunderous Liam Neeson in an inspired piece of casting, tells Conor that he will visit him at precisely 1.
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts calls for 'Aus-Exit' from 'monster' United Nations in first speech.At the end of this run, The Monster asserts that Conor will finally tell him a fourth story, one that is Conor’s truth. Conor shoves off his appearance at first, but is soon enveloped in The Monster’s arms and told the first story, which plays out visually in dazzling animation that brings to mind the lovely Deathly Hallows sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. While Conor continues this somewhat contentious relationship with The Monster, he’s also faced with his mother’s worsening condition, as his strict grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) arrives to try and get the family’s affairs in order. Conor’s father, played by Toby Kebbell in a performance that will have you wanting to see more of this talented actor’s face in lieu of his extensive motion- capture work, also arrives for a spell, though his refusal to make Conor part of his new family in L. A. In the wrong hands this could have turned into a sappy, uninspired piece of melodrama. But in the hands of Bayona, it’s downright thrilling. The filmmaker’s ability to balance the fantastical imagery with the deadly serious real- life drama is swell, as neither feels like it’s hindering the other. Moreover, Bayona—who will next helm the franchise tentpole Jurassic World 2—wisely decides never to telegraph to the audience whether The Monster is real or a dream; in the end, what matters is Conor’s experience, and how deeply we empathize with it. Image via Focus Features. Working alongside cinematographer . In a breakout turn, Mac. Dougall performs with the conviction of someone well beyond his years, handling scenes that call for intense emotions with ease and earnestness. This movie doesn’t work without feeling for Conor, and Mac. Dougall is the beating heart of this entire ensemble. Jones, too, is magnificent, saying so much with just her eyes. There’s a bravery to Jones’ performance that is incredibly difficult to pull off, balancing that line of wanting to be strong for her son but also experiencing such horrible pain and suffering. And Neeson is a vital piece of this puzzle, delivering a vocal performance that at once terrifies and comforts.
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