'A Monster Calls' (12A)

*****

Struggling to cope with the failing health of his dying mother and the relentless torments of the bullies at school, Conor calls upon the help of a Monster, who agrees to tell him three stories in return for Conor's 'truth'.

I've always been a big fan of having a little cry in the cinema. You know, that moment when what is happening on screen is so deeply affecting that you can't help but close your eyes and feel those big, hot tears come seeping out from under the lids. I held back the tears for the majority of A Monster Calls, but in those final two scenes, I had become so deeply embroiled in the life of Conor (a brilliant Lewis MacDougall) that I couldn't help but weep. But in a strange way, I was happy to - the film had worked its magic upon me from the beginning, after all.

Yes, I would agree that it is somewhat predictable what the story's arch is going to be - we have the dying mother, a Monster who agrees to tell three stories, and fraught relationships that must somehow be overcome, and yet it is not the story that is the most affecting part - it is the manner in which it is told. With Patrick Ness adapting his own novel for the screen, the film loses very little of the poignancy and intimate thoughts demonstrated in the book, whilst director J. A. Bayona uses his eye for the visual to create a story that is filled with storytelling magic. Flitting between live action sequences and beautiful watercolour scenes (not dissimilar to when Hermione recounts the tale of the Deathly Hallows in Harry Potter), Bayona manages to immerse the viewer into the moral dilemmas of the tale without making it feel even remotely preachy.

The Monster itself is beautifully realised. Voiced by the silky tones of Liam Neeson, the Monster is based upon an ancient yew tree that Conor can see from his bedroom window. With kind eyes that can turn to fire in an instant, tendrils and roots that wrap around Conor and any space the creature might inhabit, the Monster is both tender and terrifying at the same time, much like the world in which Conor now lives.

Well, 2017 has got off to a good start with one of the first films to be released being such a beautiful and emotive one as this. With excellent performances, arresting visuals and a central character you can't help but root for, it's everything you could want from a New Year's movie. Just don't forget to take your tissues...

Comments

'Mary Queen of Scots' (15)

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor. The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life

'Riders of Justice' (15)

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicholas Bro Where can I watch?: Riders of Justice is in cinemas now Rating: 4/5 Review: There are some films that defy categorisation. For example, from watching the trailer for Riders of Justice, you might assume it to be some form of action comedy with a healthy dose of violence thrown in for good measure. However, Riders of Justice is actually far more complex than that, tackling themes of masculinity, mental health and even the existential alongside the occasional shoot out and grisly murder. At first, it appears to be about revenge - Mads Mikkelsen (looking particularly brutish) returns from a tour following the death of his wife in rail accident that could well be connected with a violent gang. Or was it all merely coincidence? Uncommunicative and unrelenting in his refusal to undertake therapy, Mikkelsen's Markus represents the archetypal army man - silent,

'Jojo Rabbit' (12A)

***** Stuck at home after injuring himself at a Hitler Youth weekend, Jojo discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house. The words 'comedy' and 'Nazis' are hardly bedfellows, and yet director/screenwriter Taika Waititi has somehow created a film that features both. Without doubt, it's a highly controversial movie, with Joker levels of division already popping up across the internet - even I have to admit that laughing at the opening montage in which a young boy practises his 'Heil, Hitler' felt quite uncomfortable - but I'd argue that this charming little oddity is probably the film we all need right now. Cards on the table - the film never laughs at the atrocities the Nazis committed. In fact, we see the world through Jojo's (delightful newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) eyes - a crazy, confusing place that's made all the more bizarre by the presence of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Dubbed

Eleanor Reviews

Search This Blog