Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Matt C — 11 Jan 2017

Upon first glance, A Monster Calls appeared to be weepy awards material not suited for me aside from what appeared to be engaging visuals. Seeing the movie in its entirety proved me to be wrong enough, as although the movie didn't blow my mind nor is likely fleshed out in every way enough to permeate my consciousness--visuals seem to overpower relationships at times, ironically enough--this is a mature yet accessible tale that blends its fantastical elements with the psychology of its protagonist to interesting results.

Twelve-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) is a loner struggling to cope with his mother Lizzie's (Felicity Jones) terminal illness that continues to drain her of life. His grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) comes to visit for support and in turn stimulates his anxieties and highlights his inability to cope with the inevitable.

A giant tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) similar to the tree behind his home begins to regularly visit Conor at 12:07--am or pm--and tells him stories relevant in one way or another to his emotions, and the movie chronicles Conor's attempts at coping with impending loss.

It's interesting to see a film situate the Peter Jackson/Guillermo del Toro-esque elements within a character's mind, and it allows a sense of depth to the visuals. The movie looks very good from a production standpoint and in terms of its cinematography, holding a look that appropriately switches between warmly mahogany and cloudy and gray.

J. A. Bayona's (The Impossible) direction gets strong performances from the cast, redeeming some occasionally underwhelming work from Patrick Ness's screenplay to an extent. As mentioned, the Jackson/del Toro-inspired look to the fantasy sequences look great and feature some very good technical filmmaking in terms of CG and sound design, but the design and visual choices feel fitting to the tone and world that's been (albeit somewhat briefly) set up.

What makes the movie feel as complete and tied together as it does, though, is how deftly Bayona switches from real world to fantasy and back. The transitions in tone--along with the consistently of the film's look--are organic and prevent anything feeling too jarring or bizarre as a result.

Where A Monster Calls could have been improved is in its script. It stands strong in its ideas and the approach of conveying a child's emotional uncertainty and turmoil as a nightmare of sorts, and it deals with its themes in a way that reaches older kids as well as adults.

However, the relationships between characters seem to have taken a bit of a backseat. The relationship between our protagonist and his grandmother is a bit unfulfilling and although the intentions become clear in the end, said relationship ultimately feels one-note.

There's a sequence in which Conor's estranged father (Toby Kebbell) returns for a bit to see him and Lizzie, but he feels like an expendable character despite the charm that his actor brings. And in terms of the mother-son relationship, it's actually pretty well done, and given that it's the highest priority, in glad that it seemed to get the most attention.

Overall, A Monster Calls succeeds in how it explores its themes and emotions, and while some aspects in terms of writing may leave a bit to be desired, the direction and acting redeem the film of its issues up to a point.

It's well paced and realized, its visual imagination undeniable, and it isn't exploitative. It could have gone through another draft before shooting, but it's a cut above tear-jerker dramas and is just a good movie overall.

7.8/10, B+, one thumb up, above average, etc.