Anne Hathaway’s character finds ways to “direct” and control a monster in “Colossal.”
Traditional film types and formats have become so predictable that some producers have been resorting to “mashups” or unexpected combinations of plots and characters to surprise and hopefully delight viewers.
Some years ago, the prime and droll example of this quirky combination was “Cowboys vs. Zombies,” which took the old gunslingers format and spun it on its head to get in droves and hordes of hungry and demented flesh eaters on the antic action!
This year, the wackily weird example is “Colossal,” an Anne Hathaway starrer that is not what you expect the ethereal and stylish screen luminary to topbill.
The mashup this time involves a “winking” juxtaposition of a psychological drama and, of all things, gigantic movie monsters of the Godzilla and Terminator sort!
The storytelling starts out “normally,” with Hathaway’s character being introduced as a woman with a huge drinking problem that has foiled all of her efforts to make a go of her sad, unfocused life.
The big question, of course, is the cause of her dismal problem, which has forced her to return to the small town where she grew up.
Suddenly, the entire world is galvanized by the shocking appearance of a gigantic and terrifying monster in Seoul, South Korea! Its violent onslaughts decimate parts of the city and make some people fear that the world itself may be at risk.
At first, the monster’s attack distracts Hathaway’s character from her own, far smaller problems.
In time, however, she senses that she’s developing a weird affinity to the predatory monster, and feels compelled to watch its every move on TV.
Even more weirdly and shockingly, she begins to affect the monster’s behavior and, later, finds ways to “direct” and control it! What’s going on here?
The rest of the movie strives to answer that key question, making the “impossible” not just plausible, but loopily “logical.”
In the process, viewers learn a lot about the roots and resonances of anger, which is what Hathaway’s character has in common with the menacing monster that has the entire world in thrall.
Scoffers will dismiss the film’s far-out events as excessive attempts to shock viewers into attention and submission.
However, armchair students of abnormal human psychology will derive some insights from “Colossal” that could deepen their understanding of how powerful emotions can be.
The film’s resident monster is like an objective correlative to Hathaway’s furiously conflicted character.
So, while the fantasy-drama has a sci-fi loop-the-loop twist to it, its psychological underpinnings are solid and strong.
Thus, the film can be appreciated and enjoyed on several different levels, which is one of the hallmarks of an audaciously original film!