Colossal (2017) Review!!!

Synopsis – Gloria is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in NY and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon.

My Take – We are in a time where every studio is either remaking every other thing ever made or just forcing down unnecessary sequels on us to cash in our likability of the characters of the 1st film, or worse, obsessively trying to build a shared film universe with mixed results. Luckily, we still have directors like Nacho Vigalondo (Open Windows, Timecrimes) who is still ready to push boundaries of tried and tested genres to create something different. While attending a special preview screening of the film courtesy of its distributors, I went in expecting a unique albeit funny take on the monster film genre and came out pleasantly surprised mainly due to the genre-hopping shenanigans I witnessed and the route the film took. Scripted also by Nacho Vigalondo, this unique film is a fascinating mix of black comedy, monster film science fiction, and drama. It is also one of those films that can be enjoyed at one or multiple levels: you can enjoy it strictly as an action comedy or as an action comedy with an allegory about relationships, regret and yearning to be more than what you are or you could view it as a satire on action films. It’s a lot of things but it’s also intelligently and thoughtfully made and it amazes me that there are only four main characters in the entire film yet director Nacho Vigalondo makes the film feel fully populated. Sure, the film has some issues, mainly its pacing and some other things, yet it remains one of the most original films I have seen in quite a while, and with much assurance I can guarantee you that it is unlike any other big monster film you have ever seen and I mean that in the best way possible. Despite having a trailer that presents the film as simply an offbeat comedy, the film is actually way darker and way more interesting than one might expect from the marketing material.

The story follows Gloria (Anne Hathaway), an alcoholic party girl who can’t hold a job for very long. Tired of her irresponsible ways, her live in boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens), kicks her out and asks her to get help. As she is nearly broke too, Gloria has no choice but to move back to her small (unspecified) hometown and start living in her childhood home which (for unspecified reasons) is unfurnished and vacant. While hauling a newly purchased air mattress back to her parents’ house, she runs into Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), a childhood friend who now runs his late father’s minimally successful bar. As she is all alone, Oscar invites her to hang out with him and his after-hours drinking buddies, Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) and Joel (Austin Stowell) and offers her a job as a waitress. Glad that things are finally beginning to settle down, Gloria one day wakes up to find on the news that a Kaiju monster made an appearance the night before and wreaked havoc on Seoul, South Korea. However, things get more complicated when Gloria notices that the monster seems to be mimicking her moves including exhibiting a nervous tick and appears only when Gloria steps into the town’s playground. Before she can totally figure out how to bring an end to the disaster she is unknowingly causing in Seoul, a giant robot also shows up, and seems to have issues with Gloria’s monster. Made on a small scaled budget ($15 million) in relation to modern monster films such as the recently released Kong: Skull Island ($185 million), or the awesome Pacific Rim ($190 million) or the 2014 reboot of the Godzilla ($160 million), director and writer Nacho Vigalondo delivers a film on many themes, mainly on the actions we take & how they reflect our surroundings. Director Nacho Vigalondo‘s innovative screenplay is definitely among the most daring ones we’ve come across this year & his direction, too, is competent all through. The science fiction & the presence of a monster, is a rather clever way to put up a message that’s strong & timely. If you have seen the film’s trailer, you know exactly what to expect in the first 30 minutes, and the film plays that out faithfully. The highlight of the film is what comes after, and I must say I was quite taken by in the best possible way. While, from the synopsis the film may seem like a silly film only a production house like Asylum would come up with, what’s interesting here is how the film touches upon some very real and very human emotions and issues that a commercial film rarely talks about, and yet lets the monster be the USP of the setting. Sure, Nacho‘s writing takes time to grab your attention, but once the monster blasts up the screen, you get glued to your seats & will likely not move thereafter. The twist in the narrative is also interesting & the culmination, is simply superb. Yes, this is a film that uses the backdrop of giant monsters to tell a much deeper story involving such real issues including alcoholism, bullying and dealing with the different targets and stresses that set us off in life and how we are not always in command of our behavior, or actions, even though we really should be and if not this could lead to major consequences not only for ourselves, but others also. The film took me a little while to get used to it’s off the wall humor and collection of characters, but once I got in the right mindset, I was enjoying this film thoroughly and not only was I entertained by what I was watching, but it also made me think and gives one plenty of things to reflect upon after the film is over, which I don’t think you would be able to say for your average Hollywood monster film. What makes the film work so amazingly well is that even if all the super cool monster material was cut out of the film, it would still function as a great, coming-of-age way too late story. It also helps that the story isn’t always predictable.

There were a couple times watching this where I thought I knew where the story was going to go, but ended up being somewhat off the mark. As the film kept going I also started to wonder how the heck is the director going to bring this thing to a satisfying ending, and the answer to that question was with a fantastic climactic sequence that I very much liked watching unfold even though it didn’t quite hit the mark in terms of satisfying to me, but somehow still felt quite right in keeping in tone with what we had been watching the whole time. Director Nacho Vigalondo also has such a command of the look and feel that he wants to present that in-fact, it seems he is knowingly breaking cinematic rules to further the story, as every big reveal packs much more of an emotional wallop. However, as I stated earlier, the film isn’t entirely flawless. The first 20 minutes or so is just one long introduction of Hathaway‘s character that seemed far too drawn out. Plus, Dan Stevens’ character felt basically like just a fly on the wall and made zero impact to the story. They are put in situations where any rational human being would do, or at the very least say, something to help, but it’s like they aren’t even present. Also, too much goes unexplained – and the reasons that are given for the story’s strange and remarkable occurrences are thinly and illogically developed. It’s enough to drive a reflective Film Fan to distraction. And that’s before we even discuss the unnecessarily off-putting developments regarding some of the characters. Supporting characters like Tim Blake Nelson‘s Garth and Austin Stowell‘s Joel don’t get quite enough screen-time that their characters probably deserve to entirely serve the story, although both actors are good in their respective roles, especially Nelson in what is his best part in years. I’d love to see if there are any deleted scenes on the DVD to fill in some missing character moments. Plus, what’s with the film being advertised solely as a comedy. Sure, there are comedic elements throughout, but the film also marches headstrong through some pretty heavy territory. There were times where I felt downright uncomfortable with actions taken by certain characters. Yet the most promising factor about the film remains the presence of actors like Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. Hathaway continues to have a big career, with major moments and some huge film successes, but here the Oscar-Winning Actress has done a tremendous job in a very difficult role. If by chance you don’t like her, you are really going to end up hating this film mainly as she is the main component of the story line. Despite some cringe worthy decisions her character takes on screen, she does a terrific job of keeping her likable throughout. Supporting her in a rather show stealing turn, Jason Sudeikis is a pleasant surprise, in a role that has him showing some irregular grey shades. Even though he feels like a side player for big part of the film, his turn in the final act is nothing short of a revelation. Known mainly for a bunch of comedies, in this film Sudeikis is gifted with an unexpected chance to shine, and rise above the fast-talking regular funny man he has been playing all this years. Dan Stevens is reliably likable as always in a small role. On the whole, ‘Colossal’ is an immensely fun film which despite being flawed deserves praise for being daringly unique & undeniably engaging.