We Bought a Zoo (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'We Bought a Zoo' (based on memoirs by Benjamin Mee, & written/directed by Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) is an extremely heartfelt film. I like heartfelt. I don't like sugary sap. So I enjoyed the film. Now, the writing within this screenplay could have been better -- I even found it juvenile, in stretches. But the heartfelt component is well-handled, Matt Damon is as winning as ever, and there is one explosive moment towards the end that felt as real as any scene I've witnessed in a film all year. When we 1st meet Californian Benjamin Mee (Damon), he is a recent widower caring for 2 kids, 7 yr. old Rose (the adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones) & 14 yr. old Dylan (Colin Ford). When Dylan is expelled from school, Benjamin decides the best approach is a fresh start: pick up their belongings & move away from the city. And as the title says, they end up at a beautiful countryside house in the middle of a run-down zoo.
Not knowing too much about animals, Benjamin has no intention of buying the place 'til he sees how ecstatic Rose is by it all. So, using his entire savings, he buys the house/zoo; Rose is delighted, & Dylan is annoyed (missing his friends back home). The dilapidated zoo's animals (200 of 'em) are cared for by an eclectic ragtag group of devotees, led by 28 yr. old zookeeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johannson), who are there more for their undying love of animals than any monetary expectation of a successful zoo. Benjamin, initially in way over his head, must balance his growing love for the animals (especially an aging tiger named Spar) with pangs of affection for Kelly as he lets go of his wife, as well as trying to gel with his tempestuous son, & preparing the zoo for a grand re-opening.
'We Bought a Zoo' is best when it's focusing on the various character relationships, & not on some stretches of tonally-awkward plot incidents. The film is as much about (if not more so) Benjamin re-connecting with humanity as it is about buying a zoo. The light romance btwn. Benjamin & Kelly finds a believable tone by the end. And I enjoyed the cute quasi-relationship btwn. the moody Dylan & Kelly's quirky niece, Lily (Elle Fanning, who I now adore). As with all of Cameron Crowe's films, songs play an integral role in establishing tone/mood. Jonsi is Crowe's composer. The score is very nice. And I enjoyed the songs that pop-up throughout the film. I also liked that for a dead character, Benjamin's wife plays a big part (since her death casts a large shadow over Benjamin & the kids).
Matt Damon continues to impress; elevating the quality of most films he's in (I feel like I've written that sentence in my last few reviews of his films). He's constantly trying out new directors & expanding his already diverse repertoire. And as Benjamin, Damon nails the grief-stricken family/everyman who is desperate to re-invent himself in the wake of his tragedy. Watch out for a late-breaking volcanic scene btwn. him & Colin Ford, who plays his son. Scarlett Johansson gives a low-key, unmannered portrayal as Kelly, who puts the zoo before all else. Thomas Hayden Church provides comic relief as Ben's wise older brother. But I wasn't wild about John Michael Higgins as the villainous zoo inspector, or for a character named Rhonda who felt like she belonged in another movie {eeeek}.
To me, 'We Bought a Zoo' is about how grieving single parents are sometimes unable to effectively communicate with their kids, no matter how hard they try -- and that it can definitely take a while for things to 'click in'. All said & done, the movie gets a pass for its genuine charm. Sure, it's generic in execution, but it's also a nice heartwarming holiday film to experience with the family. As I said earlier, not everything works. Even though I loved watching the animals in the zoo (the ins & outs of their care), there are moments of whimsy that go over-the-top; and some of the scattered narrative trajectories made me scrunch my nose in disapproval. But on the whole, I liked the astute observations of the life of this family in the aftermath of death. The emotional impact of it all rings true. And cynics be damned, the film is unabashedly uplifting in the end. You may not love this movie, but you want to like it every step of the way. That means something.
Not knowing too much about animals, Benjamin has no intention of buying the place 'til he sees how ecstatic Rose is by it all. So, using his entire savings, he buys the house/zoo; Rose is delighted, & Dylan is annoyed (missing his friends back home). The dilapidated zoo's animals (200 of 'em) are cared for by an eclectic ragtag group of devotees, led by 28 yr. old zookeeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johannson), who are there more for their undying love of animals than any monetary expectation of a successful zoo. Benjamin, initially in way over his head, must balance his growing love for the animals (especially an aging tiger named Spar) with pangs of affection for Kelly as he lets go of his wife, as well as trying to gel with his tempestuous son, & preparing the zoo for a grand re-opening.
'We Bought a Zoo' is best when it's focusing on the various character relationships, & not on some stretches of tonally-awkward plot incidents. The film is as much about (if not more so) Benjamin re-connecting with humanity as it is about buying a zoo. The light romance btwn. Benjamin & Kelly finds a believable tone by the end. And I enjoyed the cute quasi-relationship btwn. the moody Dylan & Kelly's quirky niece, Lily (Elle Fanning, who I now adore). As with all of Cameron Crowe's films, songs play an integral role in establishing tone/mood. Jonsi is Crowe's composer. The score is very nice. And I enjoyed the songs that pop-up throughout the film. I also liked that for a dead character, Benjamin's wife plays a big part (since her death casts a large shadow over Benjamin & the kids).
Matt Damon continues to impress; elevating the quality of most films he's in (I feel like I've written that sentence in my last few reviews of his films). He's constantly trying out new directors & expanding his already diverse repertoire. And as Benjamin, Damon nails the grief-stricken family/everyman who is desperate to re-invent himself in the wake of his tragedy. Watch out for a late-breaking volcanic scene btwn. him & Colin Ford, who plays his son. Scarlett Johansson gives a low-key, unmannered portrayal as Kelly, who puts the zoo before all else. Thomas Hayden Church provides comic relief as Ben's wise older brother. But I wasn't wild about John Michael Higgins as the villainous zoo inspector, or for a character named Rhonda who felt like she belonged in another movie {eeeek}.
To me, 'We Bought a Zoo' is about how grieving single parents are sometimes unable to effectively communicate with their kids, no matter how hard they try -- and that it can definitely take a while for things to 'click in'. All said & done, the movie gets a pass for its genuine charm. Sure, it's generic in execution, but it's also a nice heartwarming holiday film to experience with the family. As I said earlier, not everything works. Even though I loved watching the animals in the zoo (the ins & outs of their care), there are moments of whimsy that go over-the-top; and some of the scattered narrative trajectories made me scrunch my nose in disapproval. But on the whole, I liked the astute observations of the life of this family in the aftermath of death. The emotional impact of it all rings true. And cynics be damned, the film is unabashedly uplifting in the end. You may not love this movie, but you want to like it every step of the way. That means something.