MovieChat Forums > Collateral Beauty (2016) Discussion > I was able to attend an advance screenin...

I was able to attend an advance screening last night

posted 8 years ago by michael-colan
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I was looking forward to this movie. It had a great cast and looked like a good premise. But I can't say I liked it. I won't give anything away nor will I go into a full review here. But if anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer them (and for the record I was it in Chicago last night). The movie was pretty messy, too many storylines, lack direction and focus. The emotional moments didn't hit for me. The acting was good and the cinematography was nice too. The emotion felt contrived and not natural. The twists in the story were terrible as well.

Granted the 3 other people I was with really liked it though. Two of them aren't big movie fans and the other is a film fan. There are good things in it but as a whole it doesn't work.

[–] jimmy-crain 8 years ago

How would you rank the cast? How are Kate Winslet and Edward Norton in particular?

[–] michael-colan 8 years ago

How would you rank the cast? How are Kate Winslet and Edward Norton in particular?

As far as those two go, they were serviceable. I mean they are really good actors so they do turn in good performances. They aren't amazing by any means. Edward Norton is good but his character feels inconsistent (I couldn't tell if it was the performance or the writing). Winslet is good as well but her character is underplayed.

Will Smith is really good in the movie but he is mostly one note because his character is one note. I didn't feel many dimensions to him and that goes back to the writing of the character. Smith is trying his absolute hardest in this movie. I never doubted his effort here. Michael Pena and Helen Mirren I think turn in my favorite performances of the movie. They also have really good chemistry together. Keira Knightley is solid and very likable (if not a little over dramatic at points). Jacob Latimore is okay. Nothing special and unlike other performers that elevate their weaker character, he isn't able to do much with it.

Naomie Harris is okay. Her character has a lot going for her but her performance is so reserved and underplayed that it does nothing for the character.

There isn't really a bad performance in the movie. There are some that are better then others and there are a few performances hurt by bad writing.