Directed by:
Cameron CroweCinematography:
Rodrigo PrietoComposer:
Jon Thor BirgissonCast:
Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Colin Ford, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Angus Macfadyen, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, John Michael Higgins (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson co-star in this family film about a single dad who tries to give his family a fresh start by moving to a home situated in the middle of a zoo. (20th Century Fox UK)
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Reviews (11)
A thoroughly upbeat spectacle, for which one obviously has to be in the mood (and I was). I was still worried about five minutes before the film started that it would be too cute, full of babbling children, funny animals and so on. Of course, no such thing happened. Excellent sympathetic actors, nice script, humor, a tear here and there (really!)... And the sensational character of the zoo inspector played by John Michael Higgins.
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Today’s American genre movies apparently know only two extremes: either complete rejection of certainties and questioning of basic existential values or a safe escape into an idealised fairy-tale world. Cameron Crowe’s new film falls into the latter group with such irresistible guilelessness that I feel ashamed to criticise it for its naïveté. Since I ultimately didn’t get the good feeling that the film ceaselessly pushes on viewers, I’m not rating it higher, but in the same breath, I can recommend that you give We Bought a Zoo a chance, as it can be touching, depending on your state of mind at the moment. It’s solidly directed and offers tasteful humour, even when it comes to the animals. ___ Though the film doesn’t try to hide its affiliation with the Christmas family comedy category (American premiere date: 23 December), it also doesn’t manage to exploit it in any clever way. It is simply an intentionally nice film and nothing more. The type-casting of the characters is flawless; there is no risk that someone would deviate from the clearly defined course. Radical, though of course temporary, deviations are allowed either in the context of the acknowledged game (MacCready) or to confirm the absolute success of the main characters (Ferris). There are no negative characters that could be taken seriously. To be precise, the creepy inspector is a caricature like something out of a children’s book. Like the film’s cast of animals, he serves only for comic situations that alleviate the mourning for the dead wife and the search for a way back to people. The only effort at more sophisticated involvement of the ever-present animals in the central plot is the impassioned (even by the standards that the film sets) episode with the dying tiger. Otherwise, the animals only a) generate grotesque humour or b) try to convince us that it’s natural for them to be locked up in cages. Thomas Haden Church managed to make the most of his thankless role and, unlike Damon, he can deliver his great pearls of wisdom with a light sense of detached humour. The film otherwise falls desperately short. ___ The “fine” mood spiked with rising intensity towards the end (thanks especially to Elle Fanning) made me wonder if that was an intentional change of stylisation on Crowe’s part, resulting in a very clever practical joke. But probably not. 55%
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A a barrage of positivity that relies on the typical trademarks that Cameron Crowe sprinkles into each of his films: strong characters that you can't help but sympathize with, some sparkle between main characters, a common goal to work towards, a dash of emotions and personal attitudes that need to be changed, all adding to one of the film of the year. Crowe hasn't overstretched himself this time around, and made a modest, intimate film that is emotionally transparent and relatable, even though it's actually woefully unoriginal and ordinary. But even fleshing out the characters and dialogue and adding a catchy soundtrack is quite a feat in a production like this. The last scene is awesome.
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A film that's not afraid to deliberately move you, yet is perfectly optimistic and intentionally smiling with every thought and plot point. The whole group of teenagers, children, dedicated caretakers, and gazing animals could easily crumble into a meaningless family mess. But Cameron Crowe proves that he still has a firm hand in calming down turbulent emotions. A film for everyone. Literally.
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Yeah, why not? Why not, for once in your short life, take your own path full of bumps, where even your loved ones will lose their sense of security? Why not believe in something that others would never hope for? Why not throw away past traumas and start again? We Bought a Zoo has an unoriginal story that as a whole ends in the most unexpected way, but I absorbed the varied and beautiful flavours and feelings contained in the individual scenes, the sweetly humorous dialogue, and the overall mood and motivational atmosphere of the film with as much joy as a kiss emoji from my crush (yeah, I wish she would actually think of me at least once a month). A small film, but with a big heart and a haunting last line that almost brought tears to my eyes. 75%
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Gallery (98)
Photo © 20th Century Fox / Neil Preston
![We Bought a Zoo - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/862/160862711_f74701.jpg)
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