Collateral Beauty

Posted on Dec 31, 2016 in MOVIES

200-collateralbeauty Family Night at the Movies | By Christopher Hill –

The holiday season is a time of joy for many but a time of deep reflection and sorrow for others. Grief can take many forms, but none can be deeper than the loss of a child. When a parent’s light of the world goes out, those who remain are cast adrift. Collateral Beauty focuses on the journey of Howard Inlet (Will Smith), a brilliant marketing executive decimated by the death of his six-year-old daughter.

Surrounding him are his business partners Whit (Edward Norton), Claire (Kate Winslet) and Simon (Michael Pena), who care for him but are torn by his ongoing detachment. Their once soaring business, built around the mind of Howard, is now teetering. When their efforts to return him to their reality are consistently thwarted, they seek to sell the business. But they need a fully present Howard – or they need to present him as someone mentally incapable of voting for or against a deal.

Will Smith as Howard and Helen Mirren as Brigitte in Collateral Beauty.

For his part, Howard is deeply immersed in anger and frustration over losing his daughter. He begins to write letters, not to people in the world but to the forces of nature that have ruined his life. He writes to “Time” in anger for stealing his daughter’s time and the shared experiences that will not happen. He pens a note to “Love,” simply saying goodbye because he could love no one more and will no longer love again. Finally, he writes to “Death” for not taking the bargain he offered – his life for hers.

When these letters are discovered, his partners hire actors to play the roles of the villains in Howard’s life – the entities he is writing to. Those actors not only present a counter to his letters, but they also allow his business partners to discover a sense of humanity they had consciously left behind.

Will Smith as Howard and Keira Knightley as Amy in Collateral Beauty.

The story is predicated on loss. In their own way, everyone in the film is losing something, and all are dealing with the three ghosts of lives past. This is an outstanding cast with a deep canvas to explore. Will Smith again delivers a genuine and honest portrayal of a man on the brink – a man on the verge of the end with no understanding of how or any desire to emerge. The viewer feels his downward spiral. It is a performance worthy of awards. Throughout the narrative, he plays off the actors presented, either to bring him back from the edge or to push him over. The soliloquies with Death (Helen Mirren), Love (Keira Knightly) and Time (Jacob Latimore) are all understated but powerful.

This is not a perfect film. There are some odd choices, especially near the end of the film where the need of movie producers to provide a twist to every story is simply unnecessary. Just the story of this man and his struggle is enough. The strong performances of the cast, but most importantly of Smith and Naomie Harris (Madeleine), bring home an account that forces the viewer to examine how deep their own spiral would be and if they could ever find clarity in a world that no longer mattered.

If you need something quiet and moving, Collateral Beauty is an enticing alternative. It is an emotional journey that focuses on death, time and love – and discovers hope.

Collateral Beauty

Now Showing: In Local Theaters
Rated: PG-13
Language: Mild Swearing
Sexuality: None
Violence: None