Post by Nuff on Apr 16, 2012 13:39:36 GMT
Sometimes you watch a movie where you just know that not seeing it at the cinema has removed some of the magic. I'll admit, Monsters is one such movie and I am kicking myself repeatedly for not catching this films (limited) release back in 2010.
Monsters is set in a world where alien life has fallen to earth, crash landing in Mexico. These so called Monster roam what is now known as the Infected Zone. A stretch of land between Mexico and America walled off from civilization to keep the aliens from spreading out.
The story follows that of two Americans in Mexico. Andrew Kaulder, a photographer for a magazine who is tasked with bringing home the bosses daughter and the aforementioned bosses daughter Samantha Wynden who is suffering from a heavy case of cold feet concerning her looming marriage back in America. When a mix up with passports becomes a real issue the two are forced to take a much more dangerous path through the Infected Zone to return home. Needless to say, things are unlikely to go swimmingly.
The trailer to the movie is somewhat deceptive of the movies true nature, painting it as a horror/action when those elements are much less predominant (especially the action) that the movies observative feel. This is highlighted when frequently the director dares to pan away from his lead characters important conversations to highlight some impressive visual effect in the background of a devastated building left to rot, or the carcass of a monster or in one poignant scene a huge wall constructed by the Americans to keep the aliens in the Infected Zone.
This inquisitive camerawork is also reflected in the character Kaulder, who spends a lot of his time photographing the suffering of the Mexicans and the devastation in the Infected Zone. At one point her comments on how he is paid a large sum of money for any images of a child killed by a Monster, but nothing for a picture of a child smiling.
Although the story is a little flimsy in places and their romance feeling a little shoehorned in, the characters remain very human and grounded. This is helped greatly by the way the movie is shot in an almost handy cam fashion and with the use ordinary people for many of the bit parts. The absence of any big named stars also helps you connect more freely with the characters.
However, they are not the stars of the show. The title dropped Monsters are. Their design is unique being both heavily alien yet something you are easily able to empathise with. They are wisely kept out of the limelight of the movie until the final third (with the exception of a snippet of what is to come in the opening) which really helps to build excitement and expectation.
The final scene is the culmination of all this build up and is something quiet magnificent and the only time you truly get to see these majestic creatures in motion. It's worth watching the movie purely for this scene alone and the very reason I'm kicking myself for missing this on the big screen.
4/5 Nuff's
