Towards the end of the film, when you realize that beauty is unstoppable and it permeates everything, especially when you are not even aware of it at first... that's when your entire being smiles and says, Yes, thank you to the makers of this film I'm watching.And then you laugh at the critics and think "figures..." They didn't get it.I could write a review with spoilers and marvel at the experience that this film is. But I won't. Just do yourselves a favor and watch it. You won't be sorry.

I can see the intentions of the story, I admire the subject that it's trying to tackle (that being child loss). Somehow, this fell short and unfortunately is a mess. Howard has a promising start to life. Tragically though, he loses his daughter to an illness and slowly his life begins to crumble. He writes letters to three abstractions of life: Love, Death and Time. His work colleagues notice this, and hire three actors to portray the physical representations of these abstractions in an attempt to help him...therapeutically I guess. That's all well and good, but when you use grief and bereavement as a plot device it should be handled with care. In this, they make the protagonist feel like he has mental issues so that his "friends" can continue working in the company. Call me old fashioned or sensible, but that's not ok. Suffering is a horrible process, Will Smith excellently conveys this and actually makes quite a powerful performance. Yet, beneath the narrative is this weird jolly undertone that makes it seem like you're watching a romantic comedy. If this was made ten or twenty years ago, it could've had a place. Now though? No. Evidently what attracted audiences was its stellar cast consisting of Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Naomie Harris, Keira Knightley...and more! It just keeps going! To be fair to them, they were all good. The preachy script about time, love and death just doesn't help them. Literally. "I wish I had more time so I can love and not fear death, but time is running out and time time timeeeeeee." Then the last five minutes happen and it's just nonsensical. Direction was solid, the whole film was well shot and was nice to look at. But...not enough I'm afraid. Watchable, it's not entirely a collateral mess. Oh, and what even is Collateral Beauty!? Stupid title. What's worse, is that they try to explain it in the film. Urghhhhh.

There are many negative reviews of this movie. Things like screenplay and some other things I do not quite understand or even care about. The movie does hit the mark in that it really stirs your thoughts and emotions. I watched this movie over 2 months ago, and I cannot tell you how many times I have caught myself thinking about the movie! There are layers after layers. What a fantastic film! If you want something all processed and chewed up for you, then this probably isn't for you. If you want a story that makes you evaluate your own life, and makes you think about your own circumstances (without providing answers I might add) this is perfect. The answers are yours to find and are not included in the movie btw. Lastly, the acting: Smith, Norton, Pena, and Knightly, wow! Excellent! Smith however was simply astonishing. I really felt for him throughout the movie. I know he was acting, but I sincerely wanted to reach into the screen and give that poor man a hug. Watch this movie. Thank me later.

Some of you may have seen the understated adverts for Collateral Beauty during its release in 2016. I remember seeing them and thinking, its just another of those feel good comedy films thats not really that special, why should I watch this one? Consequently, I didn't watch the film until now.Having recently seen this appear on streaming services I thought, what have I got to lose except the 93 mins run time it has and, to be honest, I can even do something while watching if it is that bad.Well, how wrong I was! I am genuinely glad I watched this film and found myself hooked by the end. I strongly recommend it, especially if you liked films like Seven Pounds, also featuring Will Smith.Don't get me wrong the start of this film leaves you with a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. The key character, Howard Inlet played by Will Smith, is so aloof I even found myself questioning if he was indeed the lead character. Surrounded by a bumper crop of great actors and actresses such as Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet, Naomie Harris, Michael Pena and Jacob Latimore, you worry that this is a film that will either deliver in spades or not at all and unfortunately the start makes you feel the latter is about to happen.However, if you stick with this film until around two thirds through you will start to realise that everything that has happened is a mixture of great storytelling and script writing by Allan Loeb and fantastic acting choices, notably by Naomie Harris, Kate Winslet and Will Smith who I personally think delivers one of his finest acting performances ever. Knowing that this story was incredibly close to Will Smith due to the passing of his father and realising how much risk he took on in doing this role at such an emotionally vulnerable time simply heightens the respect I have for an already huge role model for me. What this also brings to the film is a level of depth in his character that at times I am sure is nothing short of actually real.One of the great things that stood this film apart for me by the end was the sheer level of depth that the characters had. Discovering this depth was a charm rather than being instantly revealed. It was discovered in small drips and drabs which created a completely believable reality that the actors really brought you into with their performances of these unique individuals. So refreshing not to be spoon fed the characters histories in the first 5 minutes in a poor attempt to make them appear deep.By the end of the film I was hooked and bordering on being an emotional wreck. Yes, real men cry too. There were genuine points where I had no idea what characters were going to do and I was riveted to the screen without a thought of doing anything else. Theodore Shapiro creates a unique and hugely haunting soundtrack that complements the tough, gritty moments on screen and simply heightens the emotional connection with the film. Even as a stand-alone album, the soundtrack is great to listen to.So, should you watch this film? If you do, stick with it to the end. There will be those that simply don't enjoy this genre and type of film, simply check rotten tomatoes to prove this and I have no problem with people feeling that way, I won't force you to watch something that doesn't appeal. Although I will say, this film is not your average, its clever, deep and carries some great emotional layers and storytelling that I think if you are prepared to go with it, you will be pleasantly surprised.I look forward to watching this again and it is definitely firmly found its place in my Bluray cabinet. Please don't let the scores on review sites and the adverts put you off.Pleasant watching!