I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of this book let alone the screenplay. But after watching the trailer and reading the synopsis, I really want to see this film.
This is far more than just a film about a child and a talking tree. It’s a tale about loss and life lessons, something that we all go through. From what I can gather, this film is pretty deep and one that both children and adults will find incredibly emotional.
Based on the book by Patrick Ness (who also wrote the screenplay), ‘A Monster Calls’ follows a boy named Conor whose mother is dying of cancer. The only way he is able to cope is by isolating himself from everyone and everything by drawing. Then one day, a tree monster visits him. The monster promises he’ll tell Conor three stories – after that, Conor will tell him a story. Judging by the trailer, those stories are with amazing animation and the special effects are insane! Each of these stories represent some of life’s lessons. These lessons illustrate how complex life is. Things aren’t always right or wrong. The story shows how life decisions can be hard, and do you know what? it’s ok to think one thing and do another.
This is a great way of introducing children into this way of thinking, and making them realise that these thought processes and feelings are completely normal. This is so important because growing up his tough enough as it is. If you’re going through something so harrowing within your family life – it can be pretty overwhelming. But this story shows you are not alone! Nothing can ever prepare you for losing a family member. I was 15 when I lost my grandfather to Cancer, and it is something I will never truly get over.
Whether it’s through the medium of books, TV or film – I think that encapsulating these relatable moments in life are key and I really do think this film has it covered. The special effects look amazing. After seeing the trailer for the film, it got me thinking about some other films that have taught me some valuable life lessons. Here are just a few of my faves.
Limitless
If you’ve not seen this film , it’s basically about a struggling writer who comes across a drug which unlocks the full capacity of your brain to help you have complete focus. This focus allows you to complete tasks and gain knowledge at a pretty quick rate. Sounds great when you’ve got that important assignment you need to complete or a test to revise for right? Wrong! Drugs are bad and addictive (not that I know but it’s pretty common knowledge).
Life lesson learnt : Don’t take shortcuts , no matter how good they sound. Inevitably, Eddy learnt the hard way. Without spoiling the movie if you haven’t seen it, what I’m trying to say is every shortcut has it’s downfall. Don’t cut corners because if you do, the results won’t last and will end up having serious repercussions.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty is a guy who daydreams about amazing things happening around him, but they’re only ever daydreams. A probable escapism from his mundane mediocre job. The story is very self-reflective and when he realises he doesn’t have anything interesting to put on his dating profile, he begins to have spiritual life changing experiences.
Life lesson learnt : Dreams do come true and all visions you have can become a reality, but you need to build up enough courage to pursue them. Don’t just think that everything will come to you, take that first step and everything else will follow. Once you’ve plucked up enough confidence to do something, you’ll never look back
The Social Network
This film is all about the creation of Facebook, and how the social network was created. Although the site was created by Mark Zuckerberg as we know, it all got complicated when two brothers tried to sue him after claiming Mark had stolen the idea from them.
Life lesson learnt : This is a pretty cruel lesson, but basically never trust anyone when it comes to money and business. It’s true, money is the root to all evil. Not that I intend on going into business with anyone, it made me realise how important it is to have everything covered in writing! I think this can be said for a lot of things. Cover your arse as they say!
The Blind Side
This is a deeply moving film that had me in tears at the cinema. It’s all about an overweight teenager whose life is transformed from living on the street to becoming a star athlete. His dreams were achieved all thanks to a woman who offers him a stable home and caring family.
Life lesson learnt : This story basically makes you realise that families aren’t always about blood lines. It also shows how important it is to give someone a chance regardless of their background. It doesn’t make their dream any less achievable than someone else from a far more ‘privileged’ background.
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Adam Sandler plays the role of a workaholic who always misses out on quality family time. He gets so engrossed in his work, he starts to become incredibly removed from the people who matter to him the most. Effectively, pushing them away. That is until he stumbles into his local Bed Bath And Beyond store where his life takes a drastic change.
Life lesson learnt : Savour every day, appreciate what you have. Treat people with love and kindness. Get your head out of your phone, that stuff can wait. You don’t realise how much you’re missing. Unlike in the movie, you can’t pause and rewind life. Life is too short, live every day to it’s fullest and spend quality time with the people you love.
Wow, that was pretty deep wasn’t it? If you’re interested in going to see ‘A Monster Calls’, the trailer says it’s set to be released in the Winter. I had a look to see when exactly that’s going to be and I’m not 100% sure, some sites say December and others say January next year. I will need to keep an eye out because I will definitely need to see it!
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