Review: Colossal

The premise of Nacho Vigalondo's Colossal is so unique and fun to discover, I hesitate to mention to much of it here. Here is a film about a young woman who constant partying costs her a job, her British boyfriend (Dan Stevens) and her place in New York. There is also a kaiju, or giant monster, attacking Seoul, Korea.

To say too much more might ruin the film as so I urge you to stop here if you think you want to see Colossal. The surprise of how things play out is one of the big joys to be had. Anne Hathaway plays the lead woman, Gloria, who is a mess. Hathaway is a compelling star and really shines here playing a woman who thinks she has things under control until she realizes her actions have major consequences.

When she moves back to her hometown to stay in her parents' empty house, we are unsure it is so that she can get better. Gloria soon reconnects with a high school friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). Oscar never left the small town and seems to hold a bit of resentment towards Gloria now that she is back. He gives her a job at his bar but also seems to have romantic interests. The two spend several evenings getting drunk together and bonding. Then the kaiju starts to draw everyone's attention to the TV. Soon Gloria realizes she may be connected to the events in Seoul in a big way.

What really amazes in this film past the inventive premise, is the deconstruction of romantic comedies. Oscar and Gloria's ex are both versions of masculinity often seen in these types of films. The male agitation and desire for control in the film prove to be the biggest monster's that Gloria has to face. Somehow these ideas get woven into a satisfying nod to monster movies as well.

The two main leads, Hathaway and Sudeikis, are great together. They really dig into the combative nature of their relationship. It is their performances that really keep the film grounded in something more real than the giant creature attacking Seoul. Sudeikis in particular seems to dig deep into the type of guys he usually plays to reveal a more broken version of those dudes. Oscar is a guy who thinks everyone owes him for putting himself behind so many others. When he sees a chance to have power, he acts out in manipulative ways to get what he thinks he deserves.

In the end, Colossal is a wonderfully creative film that also has its teeth set on taking a chomp out of the standard masculinity on display in romantic comedies. Vigalondo wants to show us that these films often offer up two forms of masculinity for women to choose from and perhaps neither is really all that great. Does Gloria want to be controlled in one way or this other way? The film answers this question in surprising and delightful ways.

4/5