Anne Hathaway, alcoholism & giant monsters...together at last?

Hollywood’s concept of the lovable drunk has always been a somewhat problematic one. We’ve all consumed, or at least been around those consuming large amounts of alcohol at some point in our lives and the level to which we deem it loveable depends entirely on what side of the fence you’re on at any given time.

Alcoholism is an undoubtedly tragic affliction, having torn apart many lives, however, depicting drunks and drunkenness in comedic terms has a storied cinematic history. Early Hollywood representations such as that in The Lost Weekend of alcohol abuse were done so through rather sombre tones with films but, as things moved on, the portrayal of excessive alcohol consumption took a decidedly comedic turn. With the frat boy chaos of Animal House to the lovable rakishness of Dudley Moore’s Arthur, cinema would soon attempt to find the funny side of getting wasted.

However, as society moves on and the awareness of alcohol abuse grows, we’ve reached a crossroads where comedy drunkenness is an increasingly rare thing. The conversation on alcohol dependency has matured to a place where depicting rampant alcoholism for the sake of a cheap laughs is an increasingly rare thing.

While Colossal is an incredibly odd film, unafraid to take things on strange tangents, it’s a movie that pulls no punches in tackling alcoholism. Any cinematic portrayal of an alcoholic with any real degree of pertinence is tricky business at the best of times but, for all it’s high-concept fantasy, Colossal manages to paint an impressively realistic picture of the true horrors inherent in the addiction.

Out of work and looking at life through the bottom of a whiskey glass, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is forced to leave her life in New York after some increasingly erratic behaviour leaves her without a home or a relationship. With little option but to return to her Middle American home town, Gloria reunites with a childhood friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who now runs his late father’s bar. While there, reports begin to surface that a giant creature has been laying waste to Seoul, South Korea. As the actions of this kaiju (a Japanese term literally meaning ‘strange beast’) become increasingly erratic, it becomes clear that Gloria is somehow connected to this far-flung phenomenon. As events in her personal life and Seoul begin to spiral out of control, Gloria must rediscover her self-importance and determine why her seemingly insignificant existence is having such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

As odd as it sounds when describing a film about a giant city-destroying monster, but Colossal is perhaps of the most grounded and genuine depictions of alcoholism put to film. It’s a movie from way out in left field but its heart-breaking depiction of Gloria’s slide into alcohol abuse cuts painfully close to the bone. While we’re used to the drama and the theatricality of drunkenness on the big screen, what often gets neglected is the mundanity and the banal practicalities of alcoholism that Gloria experiences and that we, by and large, experience in the real world.

We’ve all been there. While you may never encounter alcoholism in its extreme form, we’ve all overindulged at some point and the end results usually lie, not in the usual Hollywood drama, but somewhere floating in life’s ethereal mundanity. All the regret, all the guilt, and all the short-term memory loss that Gloria experiences has been us somewhere down the road and it’s through this down-to-earth approach to its high fantasy plot that Colossal really clicks.

From the numerous occasions Gloria wakes up, faced down on a deflated mattress or in someone else’s bed, with little recall of how she got there, Colossal manages to strip everything down to its raw form; serving us a reflection of addiction and self-abuse that feels oddly routine and all too common. It’s the kind of pragmatic approach that allows the film to hit hard and stay true to its indie spirit, while the embrace of its bizarre concept allows the filmmakers to take things in directions few would dare. Sometimes the combination clicks, sometimes it doesn’t, but the fact that the mash-up of styles works on any level is a truly remarkable achievement.

What begins as a trip into Sideways territory with a classic low-key journey of self-discovery, takes the oddest of turns as Colossal suddenly pulls the rug from beneath us, serving up a massive slice of Godzilla-style action for us to digest. In the blink of a kaiju’s eye, Gloria’s inner demons suddenly externalise themselves as a giant, city-stomping monster in a stonking piece of symbolism that crash lands into a film that appeared destined to travel a very different path. From the second her monster is introduced, Colossal juggles its conflicting parts far better than it has any right to as Gloria learns to use her powerful avatar as a tool to battle both internal and external troubles.

Part indie flick, part conceptual monster movie, Colossal has a tricky balancing act to play with its dual tones and, while writer-director Nacho Vigalondo manages to keep the plates spinning far longer than anticipated, things inevitably start to wobble as the film struggles to sustain itself. As it explains away the connections between Gloria and the kaiju, the concept grows increasingly outlandish, resulting in a narrative that becomes tangled up in its own peculiar web and pacing that stutters because of it.

However, as Colossal nears its conclusion, things begin pick up with various plot threads converging and the true nature of Gloria and Oscar’s relationship reveal itself. Plotting your very own narrative course is one thing, but when a film this peculiar steadfastly insists in going floating off on its own idiosyncratic trajectory, it can be a tough job sticking your landing. Despite its wildest indulgences Colossal thankfully nails that landing, succeeding with a conclusion that’s as satisfying as it is enigmatic.

As jarring as the sudden tone shift appears on paper, it’s to the credit of all involved that Colossal clicks so successfully. In one of the finest performances of her career, Anne Hathaway effortlessly shakes off any lingering preconceptions by showcasing her immense talent and versatility given the right material. It’s not easy to play drunk convincingly but Hathaway succeeds to such an extent that, despite Gloria’s many flaws, the character emerges with our empathy. As the character fades in and out of sobriety and it becomes increasingly difficult to excuse the frequent blackouts, it’s in Hathaway’s powerful performance natural amiability that she’s able to keep us caring.

For every Godzilla however, there must be a King Ghidorah and, while Gloria’s biggest enemy is undoubtedly herself, there is a real sting in the tail as we discover who her true nemesis is. Both literally and figuratively, Oscar steadily grows into Colossal’s primary villain as Jason Sudeikis slowly transforms from loveable loser and amiable ally to loathsome villain with frightening ease. It’s a fantastically chameleon-like performance from Sudeikis as he deteriorates into a truly monstrous creation of simmering resentment, abuse, and alcoholism.

Balancing this heady mix of hard-hitting drama and high-concept monster mayhem would confound many performers, but Sudeikis and Hathaway appear to be relishing the challenge. Like Hathaway, it’s great to see Sudeikis play against type and stretch himself in a film that feels way outside his comfort zone. As a ballsy show of versatility, Colossal points towards an altered and exciting career path for the two actors going forward, so it’ll be very intriguing indeed to see where both go from here.

Colossal is a true oddity of a film but, while it’s a tricky one to pin down, its flat-out refusal to play by the rules make it easy to admire. Part Garden State, part Godzilla vs Mothra, Colossal is a film with kaiju-sized ambitions to balance out its small-scale drama and largely achieves its lofty ambition of combining epic, high-fantasy thrills with a grounded story of regret and acceptance. As a rumination on the effects of alcohol abuse, Colossal packs a surprisingly sober punch, despite its tonal struggles and succeeds in avoiding the potential car crash of its to become one of the most surreal and charming mainstream films of the year.