'Colonia' has recently premiered in the Special Presentations of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). However, it was not met with positive review, as Emma Watson's suspense thriller earned disapproval from critics at the TIFF.
In a review by Variety, the film is described as very "outside-looking-in", and a crass sensationalism of the historical backdrop it was based on. 'Colonia' has many points critics pick on but one of the biggest is its blatant "downplay of the brutal Chilean political suppression" where it revolves around. The trivialization reaches to the extent that audiences can hardly remember forget it was there.
The movie makes the "disappeared" to once more vanish, with the story "overshadowed by European marquee stars and pulpy thriller hokum." This unsavory review is largely blamed on how script was written.
According to The Hollywood Reporter , Emma Watson and co-star Daniel Bruhl make the most of what can with their characters Lena and Daniel. However, with hackneyed dialogues and too many contrivances, Watson and Bruhl can only do so much, and had to make do with poker faces majority of the film. Even the villains are cartoon sketches, which add to the depthless cliché that is 'Colonia'. The movie does not give neither Emma Watson nor Daniel Bruhl "the kind of material they merit."
Presenting no substantial character background and contextualization save for opening and closing credits, the film was said to be excessively removed from where it is liberally fictionalized. The language even became a problem since the German character leads and the Chileans that surround them all constantly speak English, which can be accepted through suspension-of-disbelief, except when they speak Spanish sometimes.
USA Today reported that the film is "based on true events" which is the 1973 military coup in Chile where Watson's Lena tries to save her abducted boyfriend, Bruhl's Daniel, from the government secret police, and she ends up in a sealed-off cult where he is held.
With negative criticisms abound, 'Colonia' is dubbed a "misguided attempt to fabricate a Hollywood-style thriller" based on the most harrowing times of Latin American history. The "poorly plotted, shoddily made" 'Colonia' was based on 'Colonia' Dignidad which is a religious and agricultural community where the Chilean government masked their tortures.
It is heavily doubted that the 'Colonia' should enjoy a strong theatrical traction. However, lack of critical approval can work as thrill ride for viewers who are ignorant or indifferent to where this film is coming from. Box returns may do well with this, as well with Emma Watson's name on it.
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