Sunday 31 August 2014

We Bought A Zoo : 2 hours of sheer positivity

There are movies that tell you about the shithole that is the world. There are movies about self absorbed nitpickers whose biggest worry in life is finding 'the one'. But every once in a while there comes a movie that is about the indomitable spirit of chasing an adventure, that teaches you no matter how hard it gets , as the most evolved race on the earth its your duty to keep on going no matter what, and to see where it takes you.

"We Bought A Zoo" is the story of an adventure junkie who gets dealt a bad hand in life - his wife dies, his son is a teenager who is drifting away from him, and a ton of other problems. To start anew and to escape his wife's memory, he buys a zoo that is about to be shut down for lack of funds. It becomes his home , its where his son finds love , and where he is finally at peace with his wife's memory.

The biggest lesson this movie teaches you is that letting go can be both a blessing and a curse. Do not declare any decision in life a bad one just too soon, and don't hold on to a memory which is ripping your heart into shreds just because you don't know how to live without it. This movie is about the balance of choice, and letting go of the right thing at the right time, finding purpose and happiness on the way.

Matt Damon is breathtaking as Benjamin - the clueless father who doesn't know how to connect with his son , as the clueless zoo-owner who wouldn't let the help put down the lion who doesn't keep well just because it's too expensive, and as the husband who breaks down looking at his wife's pictures sitting alone on the kitchen floor. Memories are both elixir and poison.

And once again, music is the king. Just the right tunes for when the peacocks are hatching, and for when the sarcastic brother turns up in time to help Benjamin with opening the zoo in time. Every frame in the movie is crafted to brilliance, dialogue, background , acting , the works.

If its not already, add this movie to your bucket list. For me , its the best feel good movie ever made. The perfect Sunday night to prepare you for Monday blues.

Cheers !