COLOSSAL REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

When I was a child growing up, Anne Hathaway was one of the actresses I admired as she appeared in family films such as The Princess Diaries (which was her feature film debut) and Ella Enchanted. However, she soon grew out of that family-friendly image and appeared in films that were aimed at older viewers such as Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada and Rachel Getting Married. In 2013, Hathaway won her first Academy Award for her moving performance as Fantine in the musical, Les Miserables. Despite having screentime, Hathaway gave an emotional performance as the poverty-stricken Fantine and I don't think anyone had a dry eye whilst she performed 'I Dreamed A Dream'.  Now, in her latest film, Colossal, she turns to comedy and gives an entertaining performance as the lead character, Gloria.

Gloria is an out-of-work party girl 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 news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this 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.

Like her character in Rachel Getting Married, Gloria suffers from addiction and, in this case, it's alcohol. Throughout the film, we learn that she simply cannot refuse a bottle of beer. It doesn't help that her former friend from school, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), owns a bar which she soon gets a job at. Director Nacho Vigalondo shows Gloria's struggles with alcoholism effectively well and this is where most of the dramatic moments comes from. When someone offers her a drink, we can see her trying to resist but it's something she can't do. Despite these dramatic moments, there's still a lot of comedy to make it entertaining. These all come from Gloria's hilarious reactions to the disasters in Seoul. After discovering she might have a connection to the giant monster that's attacking the city, Gloria immediately goes back to the playground and does funny gestures with her arms and rushes back to her house to watch the news. To her horror, the monster does the exact same gestures. Hathaway gives a likable performance as Gloria and proves she's capable of handling both dramatic and humorous scenes really well. She's one of the most diverse actresses working today and it's because of her performance that this film is really entertaining.

Anyone who suffers from addiction of any kind will understand that, whilst struggling to control that addiction, they feel like they become a monster and this metaphor works really well in Colossal. It's not stating outright that Gloria is a monster just because she drinks a lot, it's just showing her how she feels. Seeing the monster destroying Seoul helps her overcome her addiction as she knows that, when she drinks, the monster will appear again and kill more innocent people. However, she's not the only character with a drinking problem. When we first meet Oscar, he comes across as a kind-hearted guy who gives her furniture for her house including a sofa and a giant TV and hires her at his bar. Despite the kind gestures, we soon see a darker side to him halfway through the film. This leads to Gloria developing into a brave individual who isn't afraid to defend herself, even against her closest friends. Sudeikis shows he can give a dramatic performance as Oscar struggles to overcome his self-hatred and jealousy. In the beginning, we warm to him but, towards the end of the film, his shocking actions turn him into a evil character.

In the midst of all the remakes and sequels, it's really refreshing to see an original film full of unpredictability. Because of Hathaway's performance, Colossal feels emotionally authentic. It's high concept but not at the sacrifice of its themes or characters. Colossal is profound, funny, thrilling and original and deserves to be seen at the big screen. 

7/10