April 6, 2017 Page 7 Entertainment Try Colossal for an Indie Alternative to the Studio Monster Movie By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy. com Anne Hathaway knows what it’s like to be bullied. The Best Supporting Actress winner (Les Misérables) is known for getting her fair share of flak from critics who deem her “strive for perfection” to be annoying, but she has never retaliated towards these haters by transforming into a giant killer monster on a mission to destroy. In Colossal, Hathaway plays Gloria, a woman whose experience with a childhood bully ultimately changed her in ways she never knew existed until she is forced to re-examine her life and face her frenemy 25 years later. To read our interview with director Nacho Vigalondo, visit www. cinemacy.com. The sun peeks through the window of the NYC apartment Gloria (Hathaway) shares with her British boyfriend as she creeps in from a late night out. Hair disheveled and smelling of alcohol, her constant drinking and lying prove to be the last straw for her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) as he kicks Gloria out, already having packed her bags for a swift exit. Finding solace in the familiar, she heads back to her childhood home in the suburbs. She begins to settle into life in the slow lane before running into her childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). Despite her pledge to stay away from alcohol, she agrees to work at the local bar Oscar owns while doing her best to stay on the straight and narrow. While Gloria battles her inner demons stateside, a gigantic monster has begun terrorizing the city of Seoul, South Korea. With seemingly no personal connection to this devastating event, Gloria, along with the rest of the world, looks on in horror as a green mega-monster, who appears and disappears into thin air, destroys buildings and landscapes, and kills anyone in its path. It isn’t until a night alone when Gloria realizes that she is (literally) responsible for the mysterious creature’s actions and is left to figure out, amidst multiple obstacles, how Caption: Anne Hathaway in Colossal, Courtesy of Neon to save Seoul, her relationships and herself. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo, Colossal is an original story in the midst of reboots and remakes. It’s one we’ve never seen before, bursting with creativity and surprises. Don’t let the film’s traditional first act fool you– while establishing that the character’s world is based in reality, Colossal slowly turns up the dial towards far-fetched fantasy that, by the end of the film, is a complete 180-degree flip. This Freaky Friday meets Godzilla flick isn’t quite the comedy its trailer suggests (despite a few laugh-out-loud moments). Rather, it is an unapologetically dark look at self-destruction, alcohol, relationship abuse and bullying– all taking shape as a mythical kaiju creature. While the premise is enjoyable, despite being far-fetched, the same can’t necessarily be said for the characters. Hathaway’s Gloria is likable enough, tapping into every fear that a 30-something-year-old woman who doesn’t necessarily have her life together feels at one point or another. While she may not be sympathetic enough to feel sorry for, mostly because her issues are self-inflicted, we still root for her to succeed. Oscar, on the other hand, starts out as a well-intentioned friend who does everything he can to help Gloria in her time of need. From offering her a job to giving her furniture for her empty house, Oscar seems like the perfect guy to help turn Gloria’s life around. That’s why he seems almost bipolar when he demonstrates such unlikeable qualities about halfway through the film. For example, it’s one thing to show off and assert male dominance around Gloria, but to punch her in the face until she falls to the ground is completely unsettling to see. It’s definitely not funny and feels extremely uncomfortable. Oscar later blames his actions on alcohol, but nothing can erase that image from my memory. General character development seems to be lacking in Colossal, which proves to be its biggest downfall. We don’t ever see the buildup of Gloria’s vices--only the consequences of her actions, which forces the audience to assume her behavior is a pattern without ever actually seeing the pattern. Because of this, it’s also hard to distinguish when Gloria is drunk or sober (both performances seem about the same amount of spastic). Despite its shortcomings and critiques, Colossal is a nice indie alternative to the studio “monster movie” and could benefit those who want to escape reality for a couple of hours. Colossal is rated R for language. 110 minutes. Opening at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark this Friday, 4/7. • Exterior Home Improvements Yield Higher ROI for Less Money (BPT) - Renovation season is approaching. Do you know what home improvements will give you the best return for your money? Here’s a hint: step outside. You might assume upgrades to interior spaces like kitchens and bathrooms have the best payoff, but most home improvements don’t return 100 percent of their value at the time of resale. Those that yield the best return on investment for the most modest costs are generally exterior improvements. Outside the Box Interior projects like a minor kitchen renovation or bathroom upgrade return a decent percentage of your initial investment when you sell your home - about 80 percent and 65 percent, respectively, according to Remodeling’s Cost vs. Value report. However, they can also cost tens of thousands of dollars. By contrast, exterior projects like adding a deck or replacing a garage door deliver similar high rates of return, but for far less cost. Adding a composite deck can cost around $17,000 and yield an ROI of more than 65 percent, while a garage door typically costs less than $2,000 and returns nearly 77 percent of your investment when you sell. In fact, six of the eight improvements with the best ROI on Remodeling’s report were exterior projects, and their average payback was nearly 75 percent. Top Exterior Projects Here are popular exterior projects that offer high ROI, according to the Cost vs. Value report: • Roof replacement - A midrange roof replacement costs approximately $20,000 and returns nearly 69 percent of the investment. What’s more, a new roof helps protect your entire home from weather damage and can improve curb appeal. • Composite deck addition - Costs vary, but Remodeling bases its evaluation of ROI on a cost of about $17,000. At that price, adding a composite deck delivers ROI of 65.2 percent. Of course, the value of your deck will depend on many factors, including the quality of the building products you choose. Capped board composites, like Envision Decking by TAMKO Building Products, are gaining popularity. Envision Inspiration, the latest in the TAMKO collection, was introduced in late 2016, and features striking color patterns for a visual effect that’s as appealing as the financial ROI of composite decking. • Siding replacement - Another exterior feature that protects the whole home and greatly affects its curb appeal, new siding can cost around $14,500. When you sell your home, that new siding will recoup about 76 percent of your initial investment. • Garage door replacement - Older garage doors may lack modern insulating qualities and a shabby-looking door can drag down the look of your home. Replacing the garage door costs roughly $1,700 and returns nearly 77 percent of that amount at the time of resale. • Steel entry door - The single exterior home improvement with the greatest ROI is also one of the cheapest and easiest to do. Replacing a wooden door with a steel entry door will run you about $1,400 and you’ll recoup more than 90 percent of that cost when you sell your home. Exterior home improvements not only enhance your enjoyment of your home and help maintain its security, they’re also the first things potential buyers see when they pull up to the curb. When you want to make cost-effective, high-ROI improvements, making exterior upgrades is money well spent. •
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