These three things connect every single human being on Earth. He is rallying the troops at his successful ad agency by asking the pseudo-profound question, “What is your why?” I would respond, “What is the what?” But his character Howard, instead, says, “Time, love and death. There is the Will Smith that we know and love, with that dazzling smile and oodles of manly self-confidence. Sometimes, I just hate it when I am right. Even such second-tier players as Michael Peña and Ann Dowd carry some considerable cachet. Consider that “ Collateral Beauty” features two Oscar winners ( Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren), three Oscar nominees ( Will Smith, Keira Knightley and Edward Norton) and a current Golden Globe nominee, as well as a likely future Oscar contender ( Naomie Harris of “ Moonlight”) in a pear tree. Not that this knockoff Hallmark special doesn’t go out of its way to camouflage its ill-conceived intentions as well as the considerable debt it owes to such seasonal chestnuts as “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Director David Frankel (canine cry-a-thon “Marley & Me”) and writer Allan Loeb (the scribe behind such DVD bargain-bin dwellers as “ Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” “The Dilemma” and “ Rock of Ages”) provide plenty of fancy window dressing, including a stellar cast and a fantasy Manhattan festooned with twinkly Christmas lights, pine limbs and dirt-free curbside snow.Ĭall me cynical but I always get suspicious when an acting ensemble feels incredibly star-stacked. Now along comes “ Collateral Beauty” to spoil it all by milking bereavement for shoddy bromides and cheap tears.
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But they all manage to justify their use of dead loved ones as a generator of not just emotion, but of understanding about what happens in the aftermath of such great loss. Such diverse titles as “ Manchester by the Sea,” “ Jackie” and “ Arrival” come at the difficult topic from wildly different angles-personal, political and otherworldly. But in the end, all the fine acting (and with Smith, there's a bit of overacting, too, in a couple of climactic scenes.) doesn't rise above the movie's tender but cheesy twists.Grief is a prevalent theme at the movies right now. Their instant chemistry makes sense, since they have a tragic loss in common. In addition to Howard's three friends and the trio of Love, Death, and Time, there's another character worth mentioning - Madeleine ( Naomie Harris), who runs a bereavement group that Howard attends for parents who've lost their children. Life lessons are served over and over again for all of the characters (and the audience), not just Howard. There are occasional moments of humor, thanks to the gifted actors, but there's no getting around the fact that the story is treacly sweet.
Collateral Beauty isn't bad, but it's also not as memorable as would be fitting for the acclaimed ensemble.
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The fabulous cast saves this sentimental holiday drama, but it still ultimately feels more like a big-budget Hallmark Christmas movie than an awards-caliber film. The movie promotes compassion and empathy, and viewers will get plenty of lessons about the importance of family and how life has three ultimate motivators - time, love, and death. Occasional strong language includes "bulls-t," "s-t," "ass," "bitch," and one "f-king." A man nearly gets in accidents on his bike, and there's some mild flirting, references to adultery, and a few couples who embrace.
The movie tackles mature themes related to grief (grieving parents tell stories about their dead children), loss, divorce, work-life balance, and death, so although the content isn't all that edgy, it's likely too heavy for younger viewers. Parents need to know that Collateral Beauty is an emotional drama about an advertising genius ( Will Smith) who's lost the will to work in the three years since his young daughter's death. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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