Collateral Beauty is touching but a waste of A-list talent [Review]
Released in Hong Kong cinemas last week, Collateral Beauty pulls at the heartstrings of those who understand what it’s like to lose a loved one.
Focused on the difficult journey of overcoming grief, the story follows Howard Inlet (Will Smith), the head of a successful advertising company.
His friends and colleagues are desperate to shake him out of the deep depression he has fallen into after the death of his daughter, so when they discover he writes letters to the abstract concepts of Death, Time, and Love, they hire actors to physically embody the three concepts and force Howard to confront his grief head on.
The movie also weaves in subplots of Howard’s friends and how they too are struggling with the concepts of death, time, and love.
The movie is quite touching, and the multiple plots and subplots make it a complex story that does a fairly good job of tying three abstract concepts into one story. Though the film doesn’t quite reflect the calibre of its A-List actors (including Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, and Kate Winslet), it’s a good attempt at a plot with deeper meaning.
All in all, this movie won’t win awards, but it’s a refreshing take on abstract and complex themes.