Director David Frankel
Genre Drama
Cast Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Peña
Rating PG-13
Release Date December 16th, 2016
“An advertising executive encounters three mysterious figures who encourage him to move on from the past.”
Collateral Beauty is an emotional drama directed by David Frankel, best known for The Devil Wears Prada and 2008’s tear-jerker, Marley & Me. The film was initially set to be directed by Me and Earl and the Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, but he backed out of the project due to creative differences with New Line Cinema. The stellar cast includes Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, and Michael Peña.
Despite a premise overwhelmed with sadness, Collateral Beauty is a feel-good film about overcoming loss and rediscovering life. With sky-high expectations and an A-list cast, I found the film to be an enjoyable and emotional journey, with a few unexpected twists along the way. Critics have hammered Collateral Beauty non-stop since the December 16th release, and I honestly feel like the criticism is unwarranted. I had high expectations after initially watching the first trailer, and once the negative reviews began pouring in, I was understandably concerned. My first assumption was that the film was either convoluted in terms of the script, or simply corny and ineffective. Well, I’m happy to say it is neither of those things, not even close. I mean sure it won't get mentioned during the Oscar's but that’s okay, right? Having dealt with my fair share of significant loss throughout my life, I know first-hand how difficult it can be, and the fact is a “how-to roadmap” simply doesn’t exist for such grief. Collateral Beauty establishes how immeasurable the pain can be, but more importantly it reinforces how invaluable it is to express our emotions to those we love, or even a bunch of strangers for that matter. It may unfold slowly for some, but the overall message of the film is well worth the wait, trust me.
Collateral Beauty has a stellar cast, which above all else tends to make for rather high expectations. As I alluded to before, the performances won’t garner Oscar-worthy praise, but each character is well developed and fits perfectly into the storyline. Many would expect Will Smith to separate himself from the remainder of the cast but that wasn’t the case at all. Smith is incredible as usual, but I thought the writers did a fantastic job distributing the workload, allowing each actor the ability to bring their characters to life. The way the story unfolds is slightly reminiscent to one of my all-time favorite films, 2004’s drama Crash, which also starred Michael Peña. I felt like the entire cast did a fantastic job, but Peña stuck out to me as my favorite performance. As a supporting actor in most films, he tends to get overlooked but he has tremendous range as an actor, showcasing his ability to be funny and also his knack for a deep and dramatic role. His character in Collateral Beauty displayed incredible depth, especially given his somewhat limited screen time compared to Smith’s character. I also feel the need to mention Jacob Latimore, hailed as a “breakout star” by Variety and IndieWire, who is best known for Black Nativity and The Maze Runner. He plays a supporting yet vital role and I really enjoyed the energy he brought to his character.
Similar to the powerful message the film is able to convey, Collateral Beauty is not perfect. It may not be groundbreaking or Oscar-worthy, but it is still an impactful film with its heart in the right place, and it deserves to be appreciated. Like many of us, Collateral Beauty wears its heart on its sleeve which makes it vulnerable to criticism in many ways, but sometimes vulnerability is necessary to expose true beauty. As corny as that may be, I do believe that’s true, and this film reinforces that mindset. Tell the critics to get bent this time around, because Collateral Beauty is worth your time and your money. Recommended.
