As we enter the middle of the year and studios begin to rollout the self-proclaimed “summer blockbusters” there seems to be more teasers, trailers and promotional material than ever. All these materials are generally designed to increase your desire to watch said movies, in effect raising your expectations, unless you’re like me… I’ve developed an almost inverse correlation to the hype machine. As such, when I see crazy footage during a Super Bowl ad (ala X-Men: Apocalypse), I automatically assume the movie is not that good and they’re trying to sucker me in.
This brings me to the subject at hand, the recent release Colossal. As an independent film it’s received virtually no advertising push. Nevertheless, the buzz surrounding the movie has been quite high as many comic and sci-fi sites have remarked on its quality. Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, the Spanish filmmaker was better known in his country for a series of amusing commercial appearances when he was younger than as an upcoming creative force. However, by all accounts he is a legitimately talented director with very intriguing ideas. Above all else he is also utterly charming. His charm shined like a beacon during his recent appearance on Kevin Smith’s “Smodcast” podcast. Blanketed in a barrage of accolades from Smith, Nacho is graciously deferential, pointing out all the obstacles he was lucky to overcome and how the movie was truly pushed forward only after Anne Hathaway’s involvement.
This brings us to the crux of the situation. You have an intriguing movie about Kaiju monsters (plus), starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis (plus and big plus for Jason), directed by a charming fresh voice (plus) with little but intriguing advertising (plus) and a glowing review from someone I respect (plus). You sum that all up and I’m walking into a midday showing with high expectations. So, did it meet these expectations? Well…I’m torn between saying that the movie was as good as billed or simply taking it at face value, i.e. it’s just a movie. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a movie being just a movie. Most movies are just movies. They tell a story, whether it’s captivating or not, and they provide closure for that story. In, out, done. It’s a rare movie that goes beyond that. Colossal, while having a plethora of intriguing plot points and performances, is really still just a movie. Does that mean you should watch it? Yes! Go see it. It’s a cool flick with a couple of solid performances and a story that is at the very least original.
Speaking of the performances, Sudeikis is spectacular. Having seen him in mostly comedic roles, he is really able to emote the underlying insanity of his character. I’d say he brings the movie an almost ‘Kathy Bates in Misery‘ level of performance. His counterpart, Anne Hathaway, is as wonderful as she’s always been. As an audience, you instantly fall in love with her and want to root her forward. Yet in reality, her character is quite flawed; it’s even possible that as an actress she is too likable. Like the beautiful cool girl at school who, through her vibrant energy, was able to make people overlook her variety of flaws, Hathaway garners your sympathy when in truth her character’s troubles are of her own doing. Her character is torn in what she wants to represent; is she a recovering alcoholic, an emotionally abused woman lashing out at the men in her life that have pushed her down, or an underachieving individual trying to find her self worth? Ultimately she’s a bit of them all, but without focusing deeper on any one particular aspect the end result is a cursory review of what could be a far more intriguing character.
What easily outshines everything else in Colossal is the onscreen rapport between Hathaway and Sudeikis. There is an ebb and flow to their arc that draws you in, as they swing from seeing each other as saviors for their wayward lives to the bane of each other’s existence. After two hours, you are left longing for more. There is so much left unsaid between them that their relationship hints at; a lasting friendship, a budding romance, an unhealthy obsession or long-lasting resentfulness. Each piece is but a snippet in and of itself. Leaving the audience on their own to fill in the missing pieces.
That’s the thing about Colossal. There are so many facets, especially the interactions between Jason and Anne’s characters that are intriguing, that it is almost a shame that the movie is burdened with the Kaiju plotline. Unfortunately (or fortunately as it may be) it is the Kaiju storyline that will bring people into the theater. However, this isn’t a critique on the monster designs or application. In fact the CGI has a slight nostalgic vibe that easily blends into the movie. It’s actually quite amazing that they were able to do such a nice job on what I imagine was a limited budget. Yet I can’t help but see the Kaiju plotline as a gimmick, a shiny gold foil cover. Not that there’s anything wrong with that either. I love Signs (disregarding the less than superb Shyamalan entries that followed), and that’s really a story about a family dealing with loss wrapped up as an alien invasion. Colossal isn’t quite that, but that shouldn’t take anything away from it. The net result is still very enjoyable, definitely different and well worth your time.
Vigalondo appears to be a refreshing creative voice and we should all be anticipating what he’ll do next. From his prior films he clearly has an affinity towards science fiction. In a world where so much modern sci-fi has become special effects spectaculars it is nice to find a movie that uses the sci-fi genre to tell an engaging character story. It harkens back to the sci-fi of 30 years ago, where technological restrictions forced directors to be more creative. Hopefully the positive reviews surrounding Colossal will lead him into a higher profile property that he can bring his aesthetic to. In the meantime though, if you get a chance to see his movie you definitely should. While it didn’t quite meet my colossal expectations it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a solid movie and a wonderfully good time. That’s really all you can ask for.
