A Monster Calls

Tension: Will Conor accept that his mother is going to die? Will Conor be strong enough? Will Conor make things right with those he loves? Theme: It's okay to grieve in ugly and dark ways. Negative emotions aren't necessarily bad. People are often not who we think they are for better or worse. Writing: This was a really really good movie. Strangely feels like a coming of age story. The story devices worked so well, and 12:07 all makes sense at the end in such a genius way. And the fact that they have Liam Neeson in family photos says a lot about that tree and that there's more to the story. I loved the messages and themes in this. The realistic responses to grief, but also the strangeness of not being punished in Conor's perspective. Because he really did want to be punished it seemed like. The art motifs and tree motifs were wonderful, as well as the nightmare and how that finally came into play. I loved the relationships between Conor and the grandmother, the dad, and the bully. Of course his mom as well, but that wasn't what the storhy was focusing on despite it being the premise. And this kid had no friends, I wished that was emphasized a little more, but maybe it's better with this nuance. The invisible man thing was really strong, I didn't expect the third story to go like that. Or the second story to transition into the grief the way it did with the damage already done. And how he would find ways to talk to the monster even if it wasn't time like changing the "always right" clock. And the grandmother was really humbled herself. It was fantastic to see in that moment of shock her break something herself. Acting: They picked a really good kid actor. Especially after seeing the Neverending story lol. But he was moody, and had hope, and he knew how to not give too much of that away so it could build up toward the end. And Liam Neeson's voice was spectacular for this film. It's hard to picture it as anyone else. The grandmother, who I'm sure I've seen in other things, did a wonderful job as well. The bully and Conor had the weirdest tension when they looked at each other. Cinematography: The animation, even though it wasn't a camera, was fascinating. The way it would move around that world in surprising ways that followed the action. There was an aerial shot of Conor on the steps of his school standing still while everyone moved aorund him that I loved. And the tree itself (great job to the animators once again) I loved seeing wrap around things and running with Conor toward his bully. Gosh that bully moment at the end was so needed. Production Design: All the rooms had things that pointed to the moral of the stories which I thought was rewarding to those who were looking. And it was simple, like the keyhole and the locked room becoming relevant later and completely different. Sound: I really liked the soundtrack here. And the sounds whenever the tree came were so ominous I loved it. Editing: Can't remember too well.