At some point in your life you feel like you are losing it. Gone is the control and calm you might usually have had and it is replaced with fear of what may come. What if though that breakdown you were having had affects that was unknown to you? That is the question put forth in Naco Vigalondo’s new film “Colossal”, in which we are told a story of cause and effect in a very different way than we are used to.
Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is in a downward spiral right now in her life. Her nights consist of drinking and coming home in the morning where her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) has had enough. Tim is tired of her promises to change and has decided to end their relationship. Gloria not having any money or a job moves back to her parent’s home that is now vacant in her hometown. While out and about in the town she runs into Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who instantly offers Gloria a ride so they can catch up. Oscar starts to take care of Gloria, by giving her a job and filling her empty house up with furniture that he no longer needs. Gloria falls right back into all-night drinking and as she gets into normal routines again on the other side of the world in Soule, something far from normal is happening. A monster has started appearing and disappearing in the city, leaving destruction and death in its path. As Gloria and the rest of the world watches, she starts to see signs that she recognizes in the monster and soon discovers a truth that will change her forever.
The question on how you bring something different to a story that has been told often is always a good one. Vigalondo found a new angle on the classic monster story that I wasn’t expecting. “Colossal” feels like a ride at times you want to get off at some points leaving you unsure of your decision to get on it in the first place. Then just at the moment of regret, you get excited and are glad you stayed, as you start to feel like you are on a unique ride that is worth the lows. Having an Oscar winner in a performance you don’t see her in often helps, as Hathaway brings her usual charm to a character that doesn’t have many redeeming qualities at first. “Colossal” is one of those films that is better to going in blind, because it lets you experience it as a whole and without prejudgments. That is what I did, and I enjoyed the film more for it, I appreciated the chance it took to tell you a different story, but still have those familiar troupes displayed in multiple genres. So take my advice and go in knowing little to nothing at all, and be prepared for a ride you will surely remember.
