Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is an out-of-work blogger and an alcoholic mess, who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens), is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown.When she arrives she reconnects with her childhood friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) who is an owner of a bar. Oscar hires Gloria as a waitress and helps her get back on her feet.
When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to his far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.
Colossal is perhaps the most surprising movie you will see this year. When you know something is a comedy about a girl who is a mess coming back to her hometown because she lost everything else you assume you know where all of this is going. But whatever you think happens in Colossal, I assure you, you are wrong. The idea that Gloria is connected to the gigantic monster is a very unique hook that got people talking about this movie. But that's not the most special thing about Colossal. The film constantly reinvents itself, twists the story, tells us more and more about the characters we are watching. While some of the events are pure fantasy the people at the core of the story feel real, flawed, complex. It's a fantastical tale so firmly rooted in reality because of the strongly written characters who never feel like caricatures.
Its outrageous and silly premise comes to life on the screen so well and in such a gripping way whatever shortcomings you may find in a movie where it comes to plausibility it more than enough repays with the narrative and how emotional all of this is. It's not hard to see that the gigantic monster Gloria is connected to is the manifestation of her drinking problem - the monster crashes everything on its path, much like Gloria who hurts herself when she drinks and - what is far worse - she keeps hurting others.
Gloria is not an easy character to like. She is clearly troubled and keeps messing up, time and the time again. But in the film's biggest twist someone else emerges who is far more unlikable than Gloria and it's at that point when you really start rooting for her. There is something that Gloria does, about halfway through the movie, that she has every right to do. However someone else in her life is deeply hurt by her action and what happens is that they start treating her completely differently from that point on. It's extreme and it's petty but because the film tells us enough about the characters initially you understand the other side's actions and hurt.
But that's when the film transforms again taking this reaction to even further extremes, In a way Colossal works as a superhero/supervillain story, perhaps the most original since Unbreakable, where an ordinary person has the power to save lives of others and needs to pay a price for that. That price takes Colossal to another territory - psychological thriller that is really quite brutal and relentless to watch. You desperately want Gloria to come up with an idea to get out of her terrible predicament.
I'm not a big fan of Anne Hathaway. While everyone else in the world were giving her awards for Les Miserables she was actually my choice for best supporting actress too, but for her fun, charming and lovely work as Selina Kyle. Hathaway has so much charm and really wonderful comedy skills which she showed off in many roles, unfortunately for every one of those there was also some desperate and transparent Oscar bait performance. I always liked her in low key roles, without big baity scenes and that is Colossal. Hathaway makes her character feel very human, with all of her flaws but ultimately very admirable too. And the script never takes an easy way out - yes, something incredible is happening but that doesn't magically repair flaws in Gloria's personality. They are still there.
Jason Sudeikis and Dan Stevens provide strong support, but to say anything more about the characters and the events of the movie would be a crime. The less you know about the film, the more surprising you will find it and it's such an entertaining and imaginative ride from start to finish.
Colossal also has beautiful score by severely underrated composer Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Outlander) which makes the final moments of it feel even more epic and memorable.
Just watch this film - you won't regret it.
Colossal (109 min, 2016)Plot: Gloria is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in NY and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Writer: Nacho Vigalondo
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell