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A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls (2016)

December. 23,2016
|
7.4
|
PG-13
| Fantasy Drama

A boy imagines a monster that helps him deal with his difficult life and see the world in a different way.

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Reviews

calorne
2016/12/23

A not uninteresting story about a boy engaging in a difficult reality of parental ill health and problems at school, who is drawn into a fantastical segway with a tree monster who tells him three tales with a rider that the boy must respond with one of his own. (I felt short-changed by the third tale).The film did not flow seamlessly enough for my taste. I found it stilted and perhaps that is why I felt unconvinced by it at times.I did like the review from another contributor who mentioned that the film made her dog cry. (Perhaps her canine felt that sticks could be put to better use?).

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Neil Welch
2016/12/24

Conor is having a bad time. Bullied at school, suffering a recurrent nightmare, and trying to cope with his mother's progressive illness, he is visited at night by a monster tree-man from the yew tree in the local churchyard who tells him three stories, and expects the true story of Conor's nightmare in return.This film takes Conor's real-life problems - very real, and all centred around his mother's illness - and smashes them face-first into the fantasy figure of the tree monster and his stories, fearsome and compassionate at the same time. This may not sound terribly convincing, but it works extremely well.The story came from a writer who died of the cancer which inspired her story before she was able to write the book: the author who worked her idea into a (childrens) book has also written the screenplay, and the stories-within-the-story are animated in the style of the watercolour illustrations in the original book. And this is some of the most beautiful animation you will see anywhere. Coupled with the CGI tree-man, there are some exquisite visuals on show here, interwoven seamlessly with the rather shabbily picturesque locations.Felicity Jones is good as the stricken mother, Sigourney Weaver does a brilliant job as the unsympathetic grandmother rather gracelessly making plans to take care of Conor afterwards, while dealing with her daughter's imminent death, a death which Conor is having such difficulty facing. Liam Neeson as the voice of the monster is amazingly good, and Lewis McDougal as Conor is stunning.All of which contributes to the emotional impact of this film, which is brutal. There is no niceness about what happens here, but it is dealt with compassionately and kindly as well as painfully. I sat in the darkness weeping as Grandma and Conor finally find a way to meet each other in a car stopped at traffic lights, and also as the Monster finally rips the truth of Conor's nightmare out of him. And as for the photograph of Mum and her father...This film hurt like hell, and I loved it.

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mdmvrockford
2016/12/25

Warning spoilers!I passed on this movie when it was released theatrically and then on initial home video release. I found this movie in the 2 for $1 rental (blu-ray) at my local brick and mortar video store. On side note, great bass for home theater when the tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) walks and very good video quality.This is a well-acted, well-written and great story about a sad topic (terminal illness of a mother). Much like "Pan's Labyrinth" is not a fantasy movie for young children though both have fantasy elements. Still I think pre-teens on up in age are ok to watch this if they are willing to watch and then discuss this thoughtful movie.Amazing performance all around and especially by the actor playing Connor.Even lIttle touches (easter egg) in movie like blink and you'll miss it serve the story: e.g. old picture of Liam Neeson (as human) with his movie wife (Sigourney Weaver's) character. Too bad this movie "bombed" at the box office. Instead poorly written tent-pole movies like Star Wars 8 The Last Jedi collect the money and fill the theatres.

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jack-ker
2016/12/26

Conor is experiencing the worst time that has fallen to his share in childhood - the gradual extinction of the life of the most beloved and dearest person in the world - Mom. In an attempt to save himself from the pain of loss, which he is already capable of exposing to reality in a dream, Conor calls on the Monster, who will tell him three stories in return for a story he tells the young man himself.This tragic film is not a fairy tale told to children at night and, moreover, an entertaining film designed to cheer up the audience with bright scenes and merry moments. " A Monster Calls" - an instructive drama that raises an uneasy and very painful topic for each of us - the loss of a loved one. In this drama, fantasy is intertwined with reality, leaving a deep space for reflection and a sad mood.Probably, in all cases, children with a rich imagination do not remember their childhood well. Games like representing ourselves as a superhero or a character endowed with superhuman abilities allowed us to feel somewhere inside a force aimed at helping to overcome simple life troubles - to "surrender" the abuser in school or to destroy something dear to the person you hate. But Conor's rich imagination allowed the Monster to be called in the form of an alive trunk of an ancient yew. However, the Monster does not appear to be the monster we meet in Hollywood movies, but a wise mentor sent from above to help overcome the boy's tragedy.This film is worth watching in complete solitude, alone with your thoughts and emotions. One of those rare examples in our days, when the hard heart and soul is to stay away from the "Voice of the Monster" with criticism of unnecessary dramatization of events. The film is full of sad but useful emotions and feelings that I want to experience to all those rare people with a sensitive soul who understand that nothing and no one in this world is forever.

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