When I saw the preview, I was immediately reminded of Pan’s Labyrinth. It is through story that he receives his redemption. Conor’s quest given to him by the monster is to faithfully tell his story. Sigourney Weaver plays Lewis MacDougall’s grandmother in a film about the importance of story in our livesĪ through line in the dialog between Conor and the monster is about the importance of telling stories – what they can mean to us and how they affect our lives. This is a film writers and directors should all see. The tears in my eyes during the screening suggest that Ness succeeded. I was really trying above all things to find the truth of how Conor felt to not lie about it, not suggest it, not sugarcoat it, not sentimentalize it…to really feel how it hurts, because it surely does.” Ness explained, “To me, this is a story about fear of loss. Ness’ screenplay adaptation of the novel is faithful to the original. When Ness received the project, Dowd had written about 1000 words and a very detailed outline. This would have been Dowd’s fifth novel, but, ironically, she succumbed to cancer soon after starting it.
The book has been translated into 40 languages and is extremely popular with teens. The film is based on the novel by Patrick Ness, inspired by a project of the late Siobhan Dowd. His voice fits the giant tree-based monster, both demanding and concerned at the same time.Īward-winning actress Geraldine Chaplin ( Doctor Zhivago, The Three Musketeers (1973)) does a cameo as Conor’s school teacher after he has a run-in with a bully. Liam Neeson plays the monster, through motion capture and voice over. She allows us to sense the life and joy that was in their relationship, even as we see her character physically deteriorate.
Jones, with great subtlety and sensitivity, portrays motherly love under the shadow of immanent death. Lizzie, having become a mother at 18 and being abandoned by Conor’s dad, gives up her art career and develops a close relationship with her son. “In the book and in the script,” she said, “Conor says she doesn’t really look like a grandmother, so that was a wonderful place for me to start!”įelicity Jones plays a mother trying to make her imminent death understandable to her sonĬonor’s mum, Lizzie, is played by Felicity Jones ( Like Crazy, The Theory of Everything). In a handout provided by the film’s publicists, Weaver explains that this was her first grandmother role. Sigourney Weaver ( Alien, Ghostbusters (1984)) plays Lizzie’s mum, Conor’s grandmother. He already has two more films under his belt, The Belly of the Whale, currently filming, and Boundaries in post-production. This was only his second film, having played a supporting role as Nibs in Pan. Lewis MacDougall plays Conor, displaying an emotional range one would not expect from such a young actor. The cast, the story and the production are all exceptional. And then, his consciousness is invaded by a monster. Bayona ( The Impossible) and author/screenwriter Patrick Ness, tells the story of Conor, a 12-year-old boy who tries to deal with his mother’s worsening cancer, while coping with a father who lives half a world away, bullies at school, and a grandmother with whom he doesn’t get along.
The monster within sig weaver movie#
I was not prepared for the intense, touching, personal journey upon which this movie takes viewers. Having seen the preview and the press release, so I was prepared for the serious story underlying this fantasy film. A Monster Calls is not just a movie, it is an emotionally and visually stunning experience.
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