A MONSTER CALLS
BY J.A. BAYONA // ROSER VEGA
I had an impressive surge of emotion when I went to see A Monster Calls three years ago.
It was one of those films that leaves a mark. Since then, I have seen it four times more, and I hope I will watch it again.
The film was set in Spain and England and it was premiered in 2016. It belongs to different genres but the main ones are: drama and fantasy. The film was directed by J.A.Bayona.
It tells the story of a child (Connor) whose mother is very ill and he’s being bullied at school, but every night a monster appears to help him overcome his problems and tell his truth.
One of its strengths is the way in which they treat the mother’s illness and her relationship with the child, since Connor doesn’t want to accept that she is ill. It’s very emotional. Also, they used great special effects to create the monster.
The film has been adapted from a book written by Patrick Ness. Sometimes Bayona has dealt with the more superficial topics such as drama and emotion, but has left aside others that in the book are explained more.
No matter what age you are, “A Monster Calls” won’t leave you with the same feeling that you had starting the movie. I really recommend you to watch the film, as it will be unforgettable because of the way the film is explained and all its magic details.
YUCATÁN
BY Daniel Monzón // LAURA PRIETO
Daniel Monzón’s comedy premiered in 2018 and takes place in the middle of the ocean, on a cruise, on its way to Yucatán, Mexico.
The stars are two hustlers who always succeed in swindling people. They discover that an old man who is travelling with them won the lottery and is a millionaire and with the girl they are both in love with, the trio, will compete to cheat the man in many different ways to get their objective, the money.
On the cruise there were people that weren’t part of the movie, which made the shooting of some scenes a bit difficult. A production assistant told a man they will only need a few minutes to film the scene, and that made it possible to finish the scene.
Something negative about the film is that you see how people manipulate others to get what they really want. But on the other side, a good thing portrayed is how, you realize that money doesn’t give you happiness, you realize that there’re other things more important than it.
I’d recommend to watch this movie with family or friends, I think it’s a great way to spend a time with them. And as an ending of this review I will ask you: If you were the old man of this movie, would you do the same as he does at the end?
1O
Film cover of A MONSTER CALLS
Film cover of yucatán