Colossal

Films typically have a certain genre attached to them, however sometimes they may possess different genres incorporated in one production. Such as they may be a comedy/ drama, or an action film with a western backdrop, but what if you are offered a film that has action, comedy, drama and sci-fi attached to it? This is what you get in viewing "Colossal".

 

Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is an out-of-work girl who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens), is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown. When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon.  She eventually is able to convince her old friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) and newfound friends, Joel (Austin Stowell) and Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) that she is, in fact, digitally connected with this creature. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the face of the world.

 

Others to round out the cast are Hannah Cheramy as Young Gloria, Nathan Ellison as Young Oscar, Sarah Surh as Mother, Haeun Hannah Cho as Little Girl and Christine Lee as Seoul Waitress.

 

This was written and directed with grit, quirkiness and whimsy by Nacho Vigalondo ("Timecrimes" '07, "Extraterrestrial" '11, "Open Windows" '14, "V/H/S Viral" (segment- "Parallel Monsters") '14) plus TV and a ton of shorts. The staging and pacing was spot on and you could feel the anxiety of Hathaway's Gloria intensely which definitely reflects the direction. Vigalondo's writing was quirky as it was entertaining. This was a bit of a challenge for this writer in that he had to combine a creature reigning havoc in Seoul and this woman going through a difficult time in her life. There were mishaps with this script, such as fully connecting her life challenges, Oscar's mood swings, and this creature stomping around and make total sense of it. If one follows intently, you will get the concept, as long as you pay close attention. The script meandered a bit and there were a couple of slow areas, but considering the complexity of plot, this filmmaker actually soared.

 

This film certainly isn't designed for the mass audience appeal, and with the quirkiness and complexity of the story, it's truly takes an open mind when watching this. The cast was effective in their respective roles and the dry humor is welcome, but the flow of the film definitely needs a little more polish.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                Rated: R                                 109mins.