10s Movie Review - Collateral Beauty

Director: David Frankel
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 97
Year: 2016
Starring: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Hellen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Naomi Harris, Michael Peña, Jacob Latimore, Ann Dowd

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 9: A FILM WITH EDWARD NORTON
 
Description: Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Review: For advertising man Howard, there are three main abstractions in life that he not only proclaims as a pep talk to his co-workers, but reveals themselves to himself after a tragic loss. He writes letters to each of them: love, time and death. And he gets answers.

It’s orchestrated by his best friends and co-workers, who can no longer watch how Howard is drowning in his grief. They hire three actors, to portray love, time and death. And talk to Howard about the letters he has written.

It’s a thoughtful act, but it feels like more of a way to save their company then to actually help their friend. There is so much misery to digest that cramming it into barely an hour and a half is impossible. Many scenes feel rushed and unfinished. And there is also this plot twist, that I kinda saw coming.

“Collateral Beauty” has an interesting premise and the film is filled with amazing, talented actors. Unfortunately, the film feels rushed and many characters are given background stories, but are left underdeveloped. Some of the actors are underused and didn’t really have much do to with their characters. Director David Frankel did so little with everything that he had and turned it into an over-sentimental forgettable drama.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Book Review - Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Title: Beautiful Ugly
Author: Alice Feeney
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2025
 
Description: Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the edge cliff the headlights are on, the car door is open, her phone is still there… but his wife has disappeared.
 
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
 
Review: I was very excited to read Alice Feeney’s newest book. I was hoping that “Beautiful Ugly” was more like the books she wrote that introduced me to her. “His & Hers” and “Rock Paper Scissors” were those books and are both all-time favorite thrillers. Unfortunately, her new release didn’t meet that level.
 
Grady is an author, who is still grieving, a year after his wife Abby went missing. While he was on the phone with her, she went off the grid and no one has seen her since. It affects Grady’s life, but also his work. After his New York Times best seller, he has not written anything. His agent sends him to a cottage on a small Scottish island, so he has some peace and quiet and he can finds new inspiration. Grady believes this to be a good idea, but as soon as he sets foot on the island, strange things start to happen.
 
First of all, I love the setting. A small island setting, mysterious people, an unsolved mystery. That first chapter sucked me in. And at the start, I was really invested in the story. But towards the middle of the book, it started to feel repetitive and a  little dull. It was a slow book.
 
It did pick up eventually and I got back into it again. But then there was the twist. And this twist is what will make or break this book for you. It was a definite no for me. Because it made absolutely no sense. And looking back at that first chapter, that had me hooked right away, I feel cheated. There are so many issues and some of the actions of the characters just didn’t make sense either. Those final sentences of the book were really good though, but not enough to save it.
 
Rating: 2,5/ 5