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By Sunil Dhokia Anchored by an engaging performance from Steve Carell, Welcome to Marwen is another example of Robert Zemeckis's knack for merging special effects with great storytelling. What's The Movie About? Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Welcome to Marwen (2018) is a drama that is based on the true-life story of Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) who after being beaten to near-death by a group of white supremacists, builds the fictional miniature village of Marwen to help him cope with his PTSD. Spoiler-Warning: I will be covering the key plot points in Welcome to Marwen so if you have not seen the movie, I would advise that you watch the movie first and then come back to my review to avoid any narrative details. Positives The combination of great storytelling, fantastic acting and excellent special effects come together to take the audience on an emotional journey: Story Movies that deal with PTSD often have a hard time balancing tones for fear of not paying the subject with a certain amount of respect. Fortunately, Welcome to Marwen has moments of genuine levity that does not comprise the dramatic focus of the movie. These moments come in the scenes that take place in Marwen as Mark Hogancamp's fictional counterpart, Cap'n Hogie's comradery with 'the women of Marwen' is a joy to watch. When Mark meets his new neighbour Nicol (Leslie Mann) for the first time, her introduction is the emotional pivot to Mark's story. The movie wisely focuses on Nicol's caring qualities as Mark's point of entry into reconciling his fractured relationship with the outside world. The movie also walks the tightrope of telling a story within a story. The screenwriters of Caroline Thompson and Robert Zemeckis achieve this by ensuring that Marwen acts as a mirror to Mark Hogancamp's inner demons in the real-world. An example is when Mark proposes to Nicol, just as Cap'n Hogie successfully did in Marwen. The only difference is that Nicol rejects Mark's marriage proposal telling us that the fantasies of Marwen don't always come to life. These emotional moments ensure that the world of Marwen always serves a purpose to Mark's story. Steve Carell Predominantly known for his comedic roles for a large part of his career, Steve Carell is another actor who makes the successful transition from the comedy world to more dramatic roles. Welcome to Marwen is an example of how he's able to perform in a dramatic role with relative ease. The character of Mark Hogancamp goes through a range of emotions in the movie from sad to paranoid and then happy. Steve Carell conveys each of these emotions with such conviction that we slowly become empathetic towards his situation. The scene where Mark breaks down after having a memory of the night he was beaten up, shows Steve Carell's ability to portray the sad and reclusive qualities of Mark's character without it ever feeling forced or not earned. Steve Carell also portrays the kind and honest aspects of Mark particularly in his encounters with Roberta (Merritt Wever) and Nicol, as these qualities make us yearn for Mark to seek peace within himself in his quest for justice against his attackers. Direction Robert Zemeckis brings a moderate pace to the way the story is told. In doing so, he allows the audience to experience the trials and tribulations that Mark Hogancamp goes through in his everyday life, without showing the cause of his PTSD for a good chunk of the movie. The scenes in which Mark talks to his Marwen dolls is a great example of how Robert Zemeckis takes the time to flesh out these moments just long enough so that we understand Mark's lonely existence as well as learning how he copes with his PTSD. The action set-pieces in Marwen are shot with the usual flair that we've come to expect from Robert Zemeckis. Marwen's CGI world allows Robert Zemeckis to use elaborate camera angles and shots to create a sense of excitement which always serves the story and characters at large. The final action scene in Marwen in which the camera cuts back and forth between 'the women of Marwen' fighting off Nazi soldiers and Cap'n Hogie's fight with another Nazi soldier exemplifies Robert Zemeckis's ability to create engaging action in which every action beat is used for maximum emotional impact. Special Effects Robert Zemeckis has always been known as a director, who (along with James Cameron) has a unique sensibility of using special effects in service of the story being told as opposed to using these tools as a mere gimmick (Michael Bay, I'm looking in your direction). Welcome to Marwen is another example of Robert Zemeckis of delivering first-rate special effects that never takes you out of the movie but immerses you into the world of Marwen. Marwen is a fully-realised world with bell towers, bars and churches all populating the village. The best use of this technology, much like he did with his movie 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' is Robert Zemeckis's ability to incorporate the animated world into our reality. The scenes where Mark has visions of Nazi soldiers attempting to shoot and kill him in a courtroom or when he is laying down on the floor in his home as bullets are being fired through his front window are examples of how Robert Zemeckis uses visual techniques to succinctly convey the struggles that Mark experiences from his PTSD. The Bad A glaring flaw in the movie is the miscasting of Leslie Mann as the character of Nicol: Leslie Mann As an actor who like Steve Carell is known mostly for her roles in comedy movies such as 'This is 40', there's always been the feeling that Leslie Mann is unable to shake off her whiny voice and demeanour in her performances. While this acting approach works fine in her comedic roles, this doesn't mesh well with the dramatic focus of this movie. This is evident in the scene when Nicol rejects Mark's marriage proposal as Leslie Mann's attempt at crying comes off as weak and forced at best, thus exposing her lack of experience in dramatic roles. Though Leslie Mann does a serviceable job at times in her role as Nicol, it feels as if there's a lack of effort in the way she delivers her lines, doing so in a flat, dull manner in her scenes with Steve Carell. It could be down to the way that the character was written by the screenwriters' (which by the end of the movie, Nicol effectively goes through a flat-character arc) as there's the feeling that the role doesn't cater to Leslie Mann's limited acting capabilities and is a missed opportunity in selling the relationship between Mark and Nicol. Summary With an emotional story, some excellent special effects and the combination of Steve Carell and Robert Zemeckis results in a movie that is inspiring, sad yet uplifting. Verdict on the Movie 7 out of 10 Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on Welcome to Marwen? Do you agree that the special effects were in service of the story or not? Comment below as I'd love to hear your thoughts. All images above and below and their copyright belong to Universal Pictures and any other respective owners. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
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About MeMy name is Sunil Dhokia, I'm a movie fanatic and love all things Hollywood. Blog Archives
June 2020
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