Sieben Minuten nach Mitternacht (2016)

Sieben Minuten nach Mitternacht: Directed by J.A. Bayona. With Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell. A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mother’s terminal illness.

“A scary looking tree in the middle of a graveyard haunts the dreams of a little boy, Conor, who already has enough troubles while awake. A mother (Felicity Jones) with terminal cancer, bullies, absent father, dictatorial grandma (Sigourney Weaver) and now a threatening monster (Liam Neeson) to visit him at night; poor Conor does not have a lot going for him. On the plus side, the monster has only three stories to tell, yet when finished he insists that Conor tell a story of his own that reveals the truths in his heart. The monsteru0026#39;s stories touch upon themes gnawing at Conor; the good and bad in every person, the consequences of actions and an invisible man who becomes more invisible by being seen. Still Conor refuses to acknowledge the truths. u0026quot;You donu0026#39;t know me,u0026quot; he shouts u0026quot;these stories are not real!u0026quot; The monster then lays down the law, u0026quot;I know everything about you, now speak the truth or die!u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA Monster Calls includes some amazing visual effects, fantastic scenes and brilliant dialogue. The film explores in compelling and thrilling ways how fantasy combines with reality, how people deal with their fears (for better and worse) and the tremendous power of stories. The actors are convincing and captivating and Neesonu0026#39;s voice is mesmerizing. Youu0026#39;d rob a bank if his voice told you to. Animation is used to illustrate the monsteru0026#39;s stories. A Monster Calls is based on a novel by Patrick Ness. Seen at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.”