Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 09:12:25 PM

Login with username, password and session length

A Monster Calls (2016)

Started by Small Man Big Horse, January 29, 2017, 08:33:40 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Small Man Big Horse

Previously on CaB:

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on December 28, 2016, 02:42:33 AM
I don't know if it's exhaustion or depression or what, but A Monster Calls had me crying for the last twenty minutes, and I'm still getting sob aftershocks now.  I honestly can't remember the last time a movie made me cry, but it's definitely been well over 10 years.  So for that alone, it deserves a place on my list.

It's also really good.  Puts all that silly Pixar shite to shame as far as "grown-up kids films" go, anyway.  It's actually dark, actually intelligent, and pretty much the only kid-oriented film I can think of which actually explores some really tricky issues which don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer.  More along the lines of Pan's Labyrinth's desperate escapist than Inside Out's whiny pre-pubescent.  I don't want to give too much away, so I'll leave it there.  It's on my list though.

I went in with low expectations after the gigantic whiny mess that Class turned out to be, but was surprised by just how effective and touching a film this was. I almost willed myself not to be manipulated emotionally but still
Spoiler alert
cried during the final ten minutes, despite being very aware of how the film was clearly going to end from about 10 minutes in.
[close]
It's beautifully shot and the animated sequences are often quite quite stunning, and despite being one of the most depressing children's films I've ever seen it is quite cathartic and works well as a whole. Have to disagree with Noodles about Pixar films though, I enjoy 90% of them and am glad they exist, as if all kids fare was this bleak it'd be a scary old world.

Noodle Lizard

I should probably clarify my comment about Pixar/Disney - it's not so much that they should all be as bleak as this, more that there's been a trend since Up I imagine for them to try and tackle lofty subjects and milk "all the feels" out of you, but it always disappointed me that it always felt a bit insubstantial to me.  So I felt that this film actually accomplished what everyone claims the Pixar/Disney films did.  YMMV of course.

So yeah, I liked A Monster Calls a fair old bit.

Mini

Right there with you Noodle, I'd have been happy for this to win so many Oscars but it wasn't even nominated.

purlieu

I'll give it a watch at some point. The book is absolutely tremendous, and deals with the issues wonderfully, which is one of the reasons I was so disappointed with the shallowness of Class.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mini on January 29, 2017, 10:02:02 PM
Right there with you Noodle, I'd have been happy for this to win so many Oscars but it wasn't even nominated.

It's probably as it was a bit of a flop, it only took $3 million in the US, and another $37 million worldwide against a $43 million budget, I imagine if it had made a lot of money it would have got some nominations.

Quote from: purlieu on January 29, 2017, 10:20:41 PM
I'll give it a watch at some point. The book is absolutely tremendous, and deals with the issues wonderfully, which is one of the reasons I was so disappointed with the shallowness of Class.

Class was horrendous so I wasn't expecting to like this, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was so good.

Noodle Lizard

One thing I liked about it was how the kid never really got on with the monster.  It's not like the monster was just an imaginary friend there to comfort him and provide him with an escapist fantasy, as a lot of these stories tend to have it.  The kid seems annoyed by his presence and cryptic "lessons" for the most part.  And I like that the monster was pretty much there from the beginning and we never have to go through that tedious "Is it real or in his head?" nonsense.

It's a shame it did so poorly at the box office, it's depressing as fuck but it's hardly inaccessible  and there's nothing in it that most kids couldn't handle (the Harry Potters alone are far more offensive).  I think the promotion for it has been terrible though, even in LA where every film buys up billboard space at that time of year.  I never even knew it existed until I got sent the screener.

Malcy

Meh, found it a bit boring. Lost interest early on and fell asleep twice so rewatched the next day and quickly lost interest again!