Colossal - directed by Nacho Vigalondo
When you look at the credentials of the filmmakers behind "Colossal" you may get the impression that it is something that it is not.
Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo directed "Timecrimes" the Elijah Wood thriller "Open Windows" and a segment in "The ABC's of Death".
Editors Ben Baudhuin and Luke Doolan worked on "Animal Kingdom" and "The Gift" with Joel Edgerton and "Krampus" and "Oculus"
And of course Bear McCreary is probably best known for his scoring on "The Walking Dead".
Pretty good thriller/horror credentials there.
And "Colossal" isn't a thriller and it certainly isn't a horror film.
This story about a rampaging monster that wreaks havoc as it thrashes its way across Seoul isn't even a monster flick.
Hell, despite the poster and the trailer it isn't really a comedy either and honestly- that is what I was expecting.
The plot of this not a thriller, not a horror, not a monster flick, not a comedy film goes like this...
Gloria (Hathaway) gets drunks and loses control one time too many and is kicked out of her boyfriend Tim's (Stevens) apartment so she goes back to the small town in which she grew up (or didn't according to Tim)
She meets up with childhood friend Oscar (Sudeikis) who has taken over the running of his deceased Father's bar.
Gloria gets a job there which is like giving a nymphomaniac a job at a brothel of course.
After another bender she wakes up to the news that a giant reptilian creature has stomped its way around Seoul, South Korea.
Courtesy of her tendency to tap the top of her head she soon discovers that when she sleeps off her boozing on a park bench at a specific time in the morning she invokes the creature that mirrors her movements thousands of miles away.
Not a big deal if the mirror was the same size as her but given that it is the height of a thirty storey building - not so much.
You could do anything with this plot.
Any of the genres that I mentioned in the opening could be done a fine service to with it.
What Vigalondo chooses to do instead is to make the creature a metaphor for the damage of alcoholism.
When Gloria drinks she is definitely hurting herself but also those around her and specially those who care about her.
She goes through some stages with the realisation that she is causing the creature to appear.
At first she struggles to believe it but then it starts amuse her as she tries out dance moves watching the result live using a tablet to watch news reports.
Incredibly Oscar and bar friends Joel (Austin Stowell) and Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) know her secret but keep it to themselves.
The idea that Gloria goes through stages and her friends keep her dark secret further cements the metaphorical alcoholism that the creature adds.
Of course surrounding yourself with bad influences is never a great idea and when Gloria realise that her actions are having real effects -ie: killing people - she finds that the battle to overcome the problems are even harder when she has no one that is genuinely interested in (or capable of ) helping.
It's all pretty dark stuff but there are lighter moments here and there.
Sudeikis is well known for his comedy roles but in this case it is Hathaway that provides whatever humour there is.
Watching her goof off doing dance moves and strange gestures to see the creature mimic her is fun.
The news media responses and the baffled expressions on the locals in Seoul count as the lightest moments in the film.
Sudeikis as Oscar however soon brings the darkness.
If there is a true monster in "Colossal" it is this guy.
Whatever damage Gloria has that makes her drink is matched equally by the character flaws inherent in Oscar.
All will be revealed but suffice to say that this may be a very different Sudeikis from what fans (and I count myself one) are used to seeing.
With excellent support from Tim Blake Nelson and Dan Stevens as the long suffering but still kind of dickheady Tim there is a lot to like from these performances.
It's Hathaway's show here and she pulls of a performance that seems a mix of her "Rachel Getting Married", "Havoc" and "Love and Other Drugs" characters.
Gloria is a screwup but thanks to the sympathy that Hathaway generates she is never less than likeable.
There is a hard to watch scene in which she is treated very badly that was hard to watch largely thanks to Hathaway's terrific work.
"Colossal" is an odd movie but if you buy into its central premise I recommend you give it a look.
The visual effects won't cause any stress to the makers of "Godzilla" or "Transformers" but they do exactly what is required of them.
If you go into this film with the right expectations you should enjoy it.
Be warned though - it is pretty dark on occasions.
The nifty premise, Hathaway's performance and an ending that feels just right ensure that there is a good time to be had amidst the alcoholic angst.
I would imagine that people who suffer with alcoholism might find that it resonates even more than it did with me.
I would be interested to know.
Regardless there is much to admire here.
RATING: 77 / 100
CONCLUSION: Anne Hathaway's brilliant work is the main reason to see this film but the central premise is fascinating too. Grim but smart and not devoid of laughs this is well worth a look if you aren't expecting a comedy or a monster movie.
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Tim Blake Nelson, Austin Stowell, Melissa Montgomery, Christine Lee, Charles Singh, Agam Darshi
Screenplay: Nacho Vigalondo
Music Score by: Bear McCreary
Cinematography: Eric Kress
Edited by: Ben Baudhuin & Luke Doolan
Running Time: 109 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M -Violence & profanity
Running Time: 109 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M -Violence & profanity
When you look at the credentials of the filmmakers behind "Colossal" you may get the impression that it is something that it is not.
Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo directed "Timecrimes" the Elijah Wood thriller "Open Windows" and a segment in "The ABC's of Death".
Editors Ben Baudhuin and Luke Doolan worked on "Animal Kingdom" and "The Gift" with Joel Edgerton and "Krampus" and "Oculus"
And of course Bear McCreary is probably best known for his scoring on "The Walking Dead".
Pretty good thriller/horror credentials there.
And "Colossal" isn't a thriller and it certainly isn't a horror film.
This story about a rampaging monster that wreaks havoc as it thrashes its way across Seoul isn't even a monster flick.
Hell, despite the poster and the trailer it isn't really a comedy either and honestly- that is what I was expecting.
The plot of this not a thriller, not a horror, not a monster flick, not a comedy film goes like this...
Gloria (Hathaway) gets drunks and loses control one time too many and is kicked out of her boyfriend Tim's (Stevens) apartment so she goes back to the small town in which she grew up (or didn't according to Tim)
She meets up with childhood friend Oscar (Sudeikis) who has taken over the running of his deceased Father's bar.
Gloria gets a job there which is like giving a nymphomaniac a job at a brothel of course.
After another bender she wakes up to the news that a giant reptilian creature has stomped its way around Seoul, South Korea.
Courtesy of her tendency to tap the top of her head she soon discovers that when she sleeps off her boozing on a park bench at a specific time in the morning she invokes the creature that mirrors her movements thousands of miles away.
Not a big deal if the mirror was the same size as her but given that it is the height of a thirty storey building - not so much.
 |
| Anne Hathaway as Gloria |
Any of the genres that I mentioned in the opening could be done a fine service to with it.
What Vigalondo chooses to do instead is to make the creature a metaphor for the damage of alcoholism.
When Gloria drinks she is definitely hurting herself but also those around her and specially those who care about her.
She goes through some stages with the realisation that she is causing the creature to appear.
At first she struggles to believe it but then it starts amuse her as she tries out dance moves watching the result live using a tablet to watch news reports.
Incredibly Oscar and bar friends Joel (Austin Stowell) and Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) know her secret but keep it to themselves.
The idea that Gloria goes through stages and her friends keep her dark secret further cements the metaphorical alcoholism that the creature adds.
Of course surrounding yourself with bad influences is never a great idea and when Gloria realise that her actions are having real effects -ie: killing people - she finds that the battle to overcome the problems are even harder when she has no one that is genuinely interested in (or capable of ) helping.
 |
| Jason Sudeikis as Oscar, Tim Blake Nelson as Garth and Austin Stowell as Joel |
Sudeikis is well known for his comedy roles but in this case it is Hathaway that provides whatever humour there is.
Watching her goof off doing dance moves and strange gestures to see the creature mimic her is fun.
The news media responses and the baffled expressions on the locals in Seoul count as the lightest moments in the film.
Sudeikis as Oscar however soon brings the darkness.
If there is a true monster in "Colossal" it is this guy.
Whatever damage Gloria has that makes her drink is matched equally by the character flaws inherent in Oscar.
All will be revealed but suffice to say that this may be a very different Sudeikis from what fans (and I count myself one) are used to seeing.
With excellent support from Tim Blake Nelson and Dan Stevens as the long suffering but still kind of dickheady Tim there is a lot to like from these performances.
It's Hathaway's show here and she pulls of a performance that seems a mix of her "Rachel Getting Married", "Havoc" and "Love and Other Drugs" characters.
Gloria is a screwup but thanks to the sympathy that Hathaway generates she is never less than likeable.
There is a hard to watch scene in which she is treated very badly that was hard to watch largely thanks to Hathaway's terrific work.
 |
| Sure it seems like fun at the time but what damage is it really doing? |
The visual effects won't cause any stress to the makers of "Godzilla" or "Transformers" but they do exactly what is required of them.
If you go into this film with the right expectations you should enjoy it.
Be warned though - it is pretty dark on occasions.
The nifty premise, Hathaway's performance and an ending that feels just right ensure that there is a good time to be had amidst the alcoholic angst.
I would imagine that people who suffer with alcoholism might find that it resonates even more than it did with me.
I would be interested to know.
Regardless there is much to admire here.
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