review "Colossal."

"Colossal"-film review

This is a very odd film. On the face of it the central idea that a huge Godzilla-like reptile is trompling Seoul, South Korea is really pretty silly; after all, Godzilla, Mothra, King Gidhorah were never real, and those Toho films were for Japanese kids - they weren't documentaries. Yet one morning, after a night on the tiles, hungover Anne Hathaway, more party mess than party girl, has a wealth of TV coverage proving the opposite. 

Then it gets stranger. She realises that the creature is mirroring her every move. She scratches her head, it scratches its head; She dances a silly dance, a goodly part of Seoul gets crushed. Its a strange idea yet an excellent script, good direction and a remarkably good performance work in concert to carry it off. I was surprised to find that I had suspended my disbelief completely, and sitting there in the Dendy Newtown, my wheelchair cushion committing crimes to my poor arse, I was completely in the thrall of what ultimately was a pretty silly film. I laughed uproariously in all the right places, I happily accepted the rather poetic/expressionistic explanation for all the "goings on". And I *loved* the ending. All in All I had a great afternoon at the movies. 

"Collossal" manages to capture the spirit of great 1960's Science fiction Short stories like Lewis Padgett's "The Proud Robot" - which it bares no resemblance to at all, except in tone. And while I was watching the film I felt the same content lassitude I used to feel when I hid on the roof of my mother's house with a book to escape the troubles below. I recommend "Colossal" wholeheartedly and I'm looking forward to seeing it again soon myself - 

Alex Rieneck.