Welcome to Marwen (2018)

Like many people I lacked enthusiasm for Welcome to Marwen leading up to its release. Most people took a pass but something told me I should still see it based on the cast and interesting premise. Based on the story of real life artist and trauma victim, and focusing on how he uses his unique art to overcome that trauma, Marwen, with a strong cast and a director who has made some of my favourite films, was a film I thought had potential despite the underwhelming trailers.

Well it turns out Marwen overall is a rather underwhelming experience. As I was watching it, and checking my watch, I tried to figure out exactly why I wasn't getting wrapped into this story. Marwen has an interesting mix of circumstances which normally I would find quite interesting. But as the film began wrapping up I started to put my finger on what was missing.

It comes down the film not finding any investment in its characters. Marwen is the story of a man who is transformed through his are, but more so through the presence of strong, healing women in his life. He makes his art around the "saviors" of Marwen, the women he encounters. Basically the film hinges on the success of those women character and the film basically lets them all down. None of the women in the film felt real. There could have been a clever irony around that (the women are all portrayed by CGI dolls making them literally not real) but the film never makes this work either. Without us feeling what it is about these women that saves Carell's character, his transformation never feels real, they all feel as two dimensional as our hero sees them. The whole premise collapses. The film needed to find a better way to create its characters and instead focuses more on the special effects.

So Marwen feels about as plastic as it looks and doesn't make for the comeback I was hoping for Robert Zemeckis.

Welcome to Marwen
Starring: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Weaver, Janelle Monae, Eiza Gonzales, Gwendoline Christie
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Caroline Thomson, Robert Zemeckis