By watching the trailer you would think that the film was your standard tearjerker for the holidays. Surprisingly it’s not. I enjoyed the humor that I wasn’t expecting, loved the approach of the story and that there wasn’t anything supernatural.
I know there are some who don’t care for these type of films or their premise and think it’s a waste of talent.
L-r: Michael Peña, Kate Winslet and Will Smith
Deep pain of lost is hard, no matter how long or current it happened. In my view, someone did his or her homework on bereavement for this film and tried to make something new that didn’t work for everyone. For me, it wasn’t so black and white, I found many things that I liked about the film and I guess I am in the minority. One of the things I enjoyed was the great performance by all, but Helen Mirren and Michael Peña topped it for me.
The story: When a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.
Starring Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kiera Knightley, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet, and directed by David Frankel. Collateral Beauty in theaters December 16. — A.O.
