Anne Hathaway embraces her inner monster in this oddly appealing tale of errant girl power

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Watch the trailer for the film Colossal.

• April 6th 2017
• 3 days ago
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Anne Hathaway appears in a scene from Colossal.

COLOSSAL

Three stars

Director: Nacho Vigalondo

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis

Rating: M

Running time; 109 minutes

Verdict: Romantic monster mash

ANNE Hathaway doesn’t so much wrestle with her personal demons as embody them in Colossal, a strange and unnatural union between a creature feature and a low-budget indie romance.

That’s one of the reasons it’s so intriguingly hard to read.

The beastly behemoth that materialises in Seoul one night, leaving a path of destruction in its wake, might reasonably be expected to be the villain of this piece.

Anne Hathaway lets rip in Colossal.Source:AP

But that line of inquiry is quickly exhausted when the film’s leading lady Gloria (Hathaway) makes the startling discovery that said creature is actually the physical manifestation of her monstrous internal conflict.

Becoming aware of her own power, Gloria sets out to makes amends to the good citizens of the South Korean capital — putting on a decent show for good measure.

Dan Stevens, a man not unfamiliar with his own inner beast, plays Gloria’s boyfriend in the film, a condescending control freak.

Perhaps the character is unintentionally creepy, but when he boots her out of his New York apartment for her inveterate, hard-partying ways, you can’t help but think ‘good riddance’.

Even if that means Gloria is forced to move back to her home town, where the empty family house lies waiting.

DANCE ACADEMY: This movie doesn’t miss a step

Jason Sudeikis and Hathaway in a scene from the film.Source:AP

She hasn’t been home 24 hours before she bumps into Jason Sudeikis’s similarly slippery character, with whom she attended primary school.

It takes a long time for his true colours to emerge — in fact, one might argue that the filmmakers get to that part of the story too late, not allowing enough time for it to develop.

There is much to recommend Colossal, a fresh and unexpected take on female empowerment and personal transformation that keeps its audience guessing right up until the not-so-bitter end.

It’s easy to see why Hathaway signed up for the role, which is reminiscent of the one she played in Rachel Getting Married — a rawer, more credible performance.

A wild and ambitious hybrid that ultimately fails to fulfil its promise.

Opens Thursday (April 13)