MovieChat Forums > Collateral Beauty (2016) Discussion > Extremely cynical and even CRUEL

Extremely cynical and even CRUEL

posted 8 years ago by foebane72
10 replies | jump to latest

From what I hear about the plot for this, it's like these former colleagues and friends of Will Smith's character are going out of their way to make him appear crazy, so he will be sectioned in a loony bin. If I recall, the man has already lost a child and that's why he's writing the letters in the first place, and so his mental health is already poor and fragile as it is. But to hire actors to portray the elements of his letters and interact with him and to have it filmed, and then erase them from the footage so he appears to be insane is really going to push him over the edge! All for corporate and monetary gain, too!

This movie sounds so cynical and cruel to people with mental health issues, that it really is going too far. And the trailer doesn't even reflect this cruel plot! Either Will Smith didn't care or he did it for a quick buck! I hope this crap gets BURIED at the Oscars!

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

[–] Coneydogg 8 years ago

As if they could "edit out" people in conversations on a phone video. Why not just edit in aliens and photoshop his head on to Oswald's body and say he was the JFK assassin? It would make as much sense.

[–] filmmagnet 8 years ago

Don't worry about the Oscars, this film will get a stack of Razzies.

[–] andre_camilo_125-11-116136 8 years ago

God, this is harsh. I had a very different idea about this. I thought they were hiring these people to talk to him just to help him get better and then reveal it to him later.
I think this was initially intended by the screenwriter to be actually cynical and cruel, a dark, bleak comedy, but the studio produced and is selling as a feel-good Christmas movie. It makes no sense at all.
What surprises me is the amount of talent invovled. Winslet, Mirren, specially Norton, who's very picky. I guess they were fooled aswell.

[–] blaqueknight2000 8 years ago

No, no and no.
They were his friends but he checked out after the loss of his daughter. If you started a company that became huge and you just stopped working when most everything was riding on you, people will try to replace you in some way so that they can still survive. His company was falling apart and everyone's livelihood depended on him.

As to blaming the actors - if you are going to hate W!ill Smith for taking a role for a movie that HE DID NOT WRITE, you have to also blame Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Ed Norton, and yes, even cute little Keira Knightley. They are ACTORS. Its a job. I don't know why people are so quick to trash a movie they haven't seen. It deals with loss very well and when you see what the other characters are going through, you somewhat understand their choices even if you don't agree with them.

[–] michaelpstjohn 8 years ago

The guy needed an intervention, that's all. The time they took to find these letters, hire these actors, film them and presumably edit out the actors so he would be misdiagnosed schizophrenic and lose everything he has, they could've gotten together and given the man an intervention. That way he could take a break from work, they could get back to being productive and they could let the guy be with a clear conscience. He could've gone to a therapist then and started on his way to adjusting to the grief and maybe even return to his job.

The scheme that relies on making his situation worst in order to make theirs better is clearly the work of sociopaths. Maybe that's meant to be ironic, that the guy writing letters to "death" "love" and "time" isn't the crazy one, but his friends who are being driven mad by the man's own grief.

[–] smithmissy171 8 years ago

..the characters and so called 'friends' of Will smith in the movie are beyond cruel, it's pure evil, and pathetic. And all coz they wanna get him out of the company. This is also called gang stalking.

...if someone needs an intervention, fine, but this is not a way to do it. way to mess with someone's sanity and make is pain worse, morons lol..

...anyone who thinks this is a good movie is sick in the head.

...

[–] schmadie 8 years ago

"...anyone who thinks this is a good movie is sick in the head."

Oh, look!

Someone kind enough to offer up this entirely arbitrary and judgemental damnation...and we're still a week out from Christmas! Yay!

(Yes, I've seen the movie. Went to the first showing this morning.)

[–] smithmissy171 8 years ago

schmadie oh look! somemone who is clueless lol and trying to use big words to make themselves look smart.. get a clue moron lol.. like i said, anyone who thinks this crap is good and pays for it, is sick in the head., period

...

[–] promoter2 8 years ago

I agree with the original poster - Shows how many actors will do any movie for money.Regardless if they can get work easily,and don't have to do crap.Makes them sound like hookers that will do anyone (movies) for money. Or they are thick and don't know what is good or bad movie/s to make?

Also,sounds so badly written - If the twist had to be "hiring actors" to play time,death and love.The motive of those doing the hiring should have ONLY be to help Will Smith's character,to try to help with his grief.It then could have been unstandable,forgiven and even caring.But,instead it has the stupid self serving and nasty reason to force him to sell his share of the company.

[–] sky-smarty 8 years ago

From what I hear about the plot...

Go and watch it before you speak up! Most negative critics make me wonder if they have seen the beginning, midle and end of this movie or that they only checked a few spoilers and trailers.

Not everything is what it seems: If you would have taken the effort to see it yourself, you would have known that the players were played for a reason!