Review of Collateral Beauty (2016) by Robert P — 24 Dec 2016

I'm amazed at how out of synch I am with critics sometimes. I loved this film in many ways. Yes, it has flaws. But it has many more excellent qualities. Namely, the script is well-written and clever, precise and poignant. I never found it predictable or saccharine. It stays fresh and alive; it continues to open up new perspectives and performances-from start to finish.

I liked the actors (even Keira Knightley, who usually leaves me cold) and the acting (Helen Miren, Kate Winslet are Will Smith are just fine, thank you), the story, the sets, the plot twists are satisfying (though the last one, I think, falls flat; it's one of the "flaws" I cited).

Overall I loved the compassion displayed in the production. It does not beat us over the head with the title theme. Yet it offers up a simple, sincere, inspirational gift of wisdom. (To wit, Helen Miren's suggestion to the grieving mother in the hospital: "Don't miss the collateral beauty.").

In all the pain, suffering, cruelty and disappointment of life-especially in this changing age-we can be swallowed up in the misery of so-called 'reality'. (As so many of the harsh condemnations of this film appear to be.) My own experience of life's harshness, however, belies the negation that spews out from narrow comprehension. There are collateral spin-offs, all through life, of a positive nature-IF we are alert to them. In fact we can be deeply enriched by them, by staying 'in the moment', even in otherwise horrible events.

The story of this film is about deep grieving! It is portrayed in very real scenarios and dialogues. I found nothing clichéd about it. After reading the critics diatribes, I expected it to be a 'Hallmark tearjerker'. It is NOT that at all. (I wonder if perhaps the critics are so 'grieved out' by recent world events that they've given up some major part of their sensibility. Maybe they're taking it out on this film.).

The fact that the critics' consensus is at an abominable low of 13%, while audience ratings are 67% shows to me that something is really out of synch between the audiences and the critics on this one. Take another look. I will certainly do that myself. I look forward to seeing "Collateral Beauty" again, and taking its message to heart!

The fact that the critics' consensus is at an abominable low of 13%, while audience ratings are 67% shows to me how out of touch the critics are on this one.