[Review] A Monster Calls (8/10)

A Monster Calls started off like one of those bedtime stories that I would used to read before bed.

And there were stories within this story. Each story that the monster, voiced by Liam Neeson, told the boy, played by Lewis MacDougall, has a lesson to be learned. Not just for MacDougall's character but for us audience as well.

MacDougall's performance was good enough to carry the movie. His sadness and anger, and fear for his mother, all came through beautifully. Felicity Jones as his mother bounced off his emotions well, and vice versa. Only Sigourney Weaver's British accent was not quite there, and the delivery of her lines sometimes felt a bit forced.

There was a bit of a lull in the middle with introducing Toby Kebbell as the father, but it had to be done to give MacDougall a fuller characterization. And the third story did not have the same animation as the first two, so that was a bit of a let down.

The best part of the movie, however, was the tragedy for a boy to watch his mother die slowly at such a young age. At the end, it's a heartbreaking tale of loss and facing loss; and MacDougall's performance was at its best. And Neeson's soothing voice gave hope, and the certainty that there was still life beyond the pain.

There's also a beautiful score from Fernando Velazquez.