Review by Bob Ignizio
If you've seen the trailer for A MONSTER CALLS, it looks like your typical awe and wonder magical
realism dreck about a boy and his giant tree creature friend. Don't get me
wrong. The film, directed by J.A. Bayona from a script by Patrick Ness (adapted from his award winning book), does center on a young English boy, Conor (Lewis MacDougall).
And Conor does in fact associate with a giant tree monster (the voice of Liam
Neeson). But there are no humorous capers or uplifting lessons about being true
to oneself or whatever harmless pablum that passes for a message in most modern
kid's films.
Instead, the tree monster shows up to share 3 stories with
Conor, in return for which Conor must share a 4th story, that of his recurring
nightmare. The stories the tree monster tells are complex and morally
ambiguous, seeking to teach the young boy how to understand the often contradictory
aspects of the human condition. These stories, depicted in an animation style
that resembles watercolors come to life, all have some connection to Conor's
current situation in the real world.
