Stirring and tragical story based on a notorious novel and competently directed by Juan Antonio Bayona . Including an engaging screenplay by Patrick Ness , based upon the novel written by himself from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd . A devastating event happens in the life of a little boy , twelve-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) , as he seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mother's (Felicity Jones) terminal . Meanwhile , he must face his stiff-upper-lip grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) , his estranged father (Toby Kobbel) and the school bully . This is one family's moving story of sadness and love . As Conor is caught in a chaotic self-destruction , when he then is visited by the tree-like Monster (Lian Neeson) , who tells Conor it has to come to tell him three true stories . However , nothing is more powerful than the human spirit . Stories are wild creatures. Courage conquers all . Will he survive ?

It's a grade A picture , a gem , absorbing , riveting , highly moving , incredibly tense .This is a very touching story about a boy who feels very damaged , unsettling , guilty and mostly angry , as well as his relationship with a benevolent and wise tree-like monster that has points in common with Treebeard the Ent from Lord of the Rings . This is a psychological/exciting/thrilling drama in which a boy becomes involved into a terrible tragedy . It is a smart and sensitive flick filled with intense drama , thrills , emotion , tear-jerker , state-of-art special effects , and pretty entertaining , though overlong . The complex plot deals with a tree-monster who tells three tales and after which Conor must tell the Monster his own story: the truth behind his nightmare, which Conor refuses to do. Interesting and thought-provoking screenplay based on a novel that was originally started by Siobhan Dowd who left it unfinished, at her death. Patrick Ness finished the book with credits to her idea. This stirring pic is a tightly-knit drama centered on the relentless personal fight , as it follows an affected boy suffering extreme bullying , and a seriously wounded mother , as she struggles to survive . The picture makes up for it with an evolving atmosphere of anxiety and fear . Everything in Juan Antonio Bayona 's impressive film looks so real that you might think it's a highly fantastic movie full of imagination and color , thanks to the sensational animated images and cartoon resolution . And a great main and support cast , such as Lewis MacDougall , Sigourney Weaver , Felicity Jones , Toby Kebbell . And Liam Neeson, who provides the voice of the Monster , appears as Conor's grandfather in the photo of Conor's mother as a little girl being carried by her father .

Lavishly produced by Enrique López Lavigne , Belen Atienza , Patrick Ness , Bill Pohlad , Jeff Skoll , Patrick Wachsberger , among others.There is the urgent hand-held camera-work, a trademark refined and perfected by cameraman Oscar Faura , which lends an air of pseudo-authenticity to carefully staged reconstructions, putting us right there in the huddle of the action . Shot in various locations as Castlefield, Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, Cabrils, Barcelona, Catalonia, Delph, Greater Manchester, England, UK , the school scenes were shot at Colne Valley High School in Linthwaite, Huddersfield, England. Furthermore , an emotive as well as enjoyable musical score by Fernando Velazquez .The motion picture was compellingly directed by Juan Antonio Bayona who proved his usual aesthetics and nail-biting filmmaking as well as he formerly made in ¨the orphanage¨and ¨The imposible¨or ¨Lo imposible¨ . Bayona has directed 1 actress to an Academy Award-nominated performance: Naomi Watts (Best Actress, Lo imposible or the impossible (2012) and Sigourney Weaver in this ¨A monster call¨. Rating : This excellent film results to be above average , a really magnificent movie . Essential and indispensable seeing . The picture will appeal to J.A. Bayona fans .

A MONSTER CALLS is another film centred around the folklore figure of the 'tree man' already thoroughly explored in everything from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY to LORD OF THE RINGS and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. This time around he's a friendly creature who visits a mixed-up young boy to tell him stories in the dead of night. It turns out the kid's mother is dying of cancer, so the tree man is there to help him cope and grieve. Yeah, it's a rather cynical film that goes for the obvious approach throughout, but merely comes across as depressing. The actors fail to really get into their roles and a miscast Sigourney Weaver and her off-putting British accent don't help, although Toby Kebbell comes across well as always. The tree man scenes go overboard on the CGI and Liam Neeson merely reprises his Aslan role with a voice full of gravity. I found the whole thing hugely predictable, copying the likes of THE BFG somewhat shamelessly, and imparting a message that would take 10 minutes tops to film.

Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) is a scrawny English school boy. His mother (Felicity Jones) is terribly ill. He is getting bullied in school. As his mother deteriorates, he is cared for by his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver). His absent father (Toby Kebbell) returns from working in America. When the clock strikes 12:07, a monster visits to tell him tales.

It's dark tale. MacDougall's sunken eyes perfectly fit the mood. The visually are effectively stunning. The drawback is that it's imaginary. The monster is causing damage like Gozilla but none of it is real. The boy does do damage himself which is compelling. In some ways, the monster is a distraction. I imagine a different kind of monster which is more horror than action would add to the intensity.