Welcome To Marwen

Name: Welcome To Marwen
Genre: Biography, Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation
Released: December 21, 2018
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 40
Cast: Alexander Lowe, Diane Kruger, Eiza González, Falk Hentschel, Gwendoline Christie

2018

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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Welcome To Marwen

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 21, 2018 | PG-13

Starring: Alexander Lowe, Diane Kruger, Eiza González, Falk Hentschel, Gwendoline Christie, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Mann, Leslie Zemeckis, Matt O'Leary, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Merritt Wever, Neil Jackson, Nikolai Witschl, Patrick Roccas, Siobhan Williams, Stefanie von Pfetten, Steve Carell

Movie Facts:

The film is based on the 2010 award-winning documentary Marwencol.

Summary: When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women heWhen a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one. Welcome to Marwen tells the miraculous true story of one broken man’s fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit. [Universal]… Expand

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 116 min

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Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper

Dec 20, 2018

One of the many graceful touches in Welcome to Marwen is the total lack of pity or condescension in either world. Read full review

The Film Stage Vikram Murthi

Jan 3, 2019

Zemeckis has crafted a work that may be dismissed and forgotten by the general public, but will inevitably remain a curiosity for cinephiles and auteurists everywhere. Not a bad feat for a guy embarking upon the fourth decade of his career. Read full review

Empire Ian Freer

Jan 1, 2019

A genuine oddity, Welcome To Marwen may not hit the emotional highs but mixes high-concept fun with a sincere attempt to describe trauma in an original visceral way. And Zemeckis’ filmmaking remains exemplary. Read full review

Stephen Whitty

Dec 19, 2018

For a movie that’s supposed to be about a modern-day Geppetto bringing his dolls to life, the wooden Welcome to Marwen never makes it out of the toy box. Read full review

Simran Hans

Jan 1, 2019

The film fetishises female strength, but only in its ability to prop up men; its women remain prettified empty shells. Read full review

Lindsey Bahr

Dec 20, 2018

This is a complex man and artist worthy of a complex story, not a would-be-feel-good farce. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Dec 20, 2018

The results are mind-numbingly immense, joylessly violent and utterly lifeless. Read full review

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User Reviews

Jenys

May 24, 2019

Este filme é uma linda arte. A preocupação de mostrar detalhes dos bonecos é impressionante!

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

DJDataTec

Apr 17, 2019

I was both thoroughly enjoyed and moved by Welcome to Marwen. It touched on a point that is rarely cared about in society today but exists in many people. Nobody in the world is truly the same yet we are expected to follow a set forth path in life, conforming to the mass majority butI was both thoroughly enjoyed and moved by Welcome to Marwen. It touched on a point that is rarely cared about in society today but exists in many people. Nobody in the world is truly the same yet we are expected to follow a set forth path in life, conforming to the mass majority but that's not what life is about. Its about living, loving and enjoying each of our own passions regardless of what they may be and that no one should be judged for being different or expected to conform to the mass majority and if anything this movies' reviews and sales prove exactly what its trying to show, that people judge indifference negatively. It has a true story and it tells it perfectly.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

AliasSetan

Jan 23, 2020

Much better than I was led to believe by the movie's reception when it was released. The main character's catharsis seems real and impactful, and the movie avoids many usual "based on a true story" tropes it could have become mired in. The expert use of VFX helped me to understand better howMuch better than I was led to believe by the movie's reception when it was released. The main character's catharsis seems real and impactful, and the movie avoids many usual "based on a true story" tropes it could have become mired in. The expert use of VFX helped me to understand better how the model-making acted as form of therapy, following unspeakable trauma. There are dream-like qualities in this movie, which actually made me feel closer to this man who had been left with a tenuous grip on reality. I would certainly recommend this movie, especially if, like me, you're bored of conventional awards-bait biopics.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

tropicAces

Dec 21, 2018

2018’s “The Book of Henry”. It is so tone-deaf, so random, and so misguided, it’s like a train wreck you can’t look away from.

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

The3AcademySins

Sep 23, 2019

In spite of occasionally dazzling visuals and heartfelt performances, Welcome to Marwen comes off as lackluster and deeply disappointing. The true story of Mark Hogencamp comes off as shallow and trying too hard to make the audience feel good. Whats worse is that his fantasies come off asIn spite of occasionally dazzling visuals and heartfelt performances, Welcome to Marwen comes off as lackluster and deeply disappointing. The true story of Mark Hogencamp comes off as shallow and trying too hard to make the audience feel good. Whats worse is that his fantasies come off as hypersexualized and creepy. This is a total disservice to the real story of a man who suffered a violent hate crime. While Steve Carrell is a fantastic actor, and really does his best with a lot of the scenes, the script completely undermines his work, and doesn't do service to either his acting ability, or the acting ability of the supporting cast. There are some shining moments, but not enough to make me want to revisit this movie.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Mar 28, 2019

A well intentioned yet flawed film in which Robert Zemeckis puts himself in the most basic mode of directing and barely gets a functional film which is outstanding considering that the real story in which the film is based was pretty interesting.

Huge disappointment.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

NightReviews

Dec 26, 2018

If you couldn’t think of a better example where Hollywood puts its hands on something and made it boom, pop and explode like never before, Welcome To Marwen is the film to prove all of your theories correct.

Based on the 2010 documentary Marwencol, the film is a fictional and glamouredIf you couldn’t think of a better example where Hollywood puts its hands on something and made it boom, pop and explode like never before, Welcome To Marwen is the film to prove all of your theories correct.

Based on the 2010 documentary Marwencol, the film is a fictional and glamoured retelling of a documentary feature film that showcases the triumphs of a man who was severely and brutally attacked that left him with irreversible brain-damage. Mark Hogancamp is undoubtedly a survivor. After the attack, the once established and successful artist began creating a 1:6 scale world where he finds therapy, healing and redemption from the horrors of his past.

In the 2018 fictionalization feature film, Steve Carrell plays Hogancamp, a man whose hyper-fantizies sex, violence and victory in Marwen. While the city of Marwen is inhabited by Captian Hogie, a miniature version of himself, as a ruthless and brave military captain, the only other residents are the women of Marwen, each represented by strong and kind women in Mark’s life. While many of the women’s stories become as interesting as Mark’s, we come to fall in love with the women of Marwen, no matter how treacherous they are to the “Nazis” that constantly threaten their home.

Although Welcome To Marwen is the story of Hogancamp, the direction quickly shifts to his feminine rebellion; GI Julie (Janelle Monáe), Carlala (Eiza González), Anna (Gwendoline Christie), Suzette (Leslie Zemeckis), a group of influential women that help Mark recovery from epic tragedy. Even though each of the women are a representation of the women in Mark’s reality, he quickly makes them sexy and tough-as-nails heroes of Marwen, constantly standing by and protecting Hogie, no matter how hocus the narrative really is.

The shift in Mark’s life comes with the introduction of a new neighbour across the street, Nicol (Leslie Mann), who has her own story of tragedy and strife. Together, Mark and Nicol, as well as all the other women in Mark’s life face the many challenges of their lives head on, and without apologies.

Welcome To Marwen is a story about pain; embracing the pain, loving the pain and dealing with the pain and using it as fuel for recovery and successful. Yet, while the themes of Marwen are very strong and incredibly inspiring, one cant help but notice just how painful the film really is. Mixing stop-motion capture technology for the fictitious world of Marwen, and integrating the fantasy with reality, really symbolizing real life issues with action figures, the themes in Zemeckis’ newest feature get lost in over-ambition. One of the biggest disappointments of Marwen is the poor use of such a talented and great cast, and under utilizing the fantastic actors for pure spectacle.

While, at first, the animation becomes quite charming and humorous, it quickly overstays its welcome. Zemeckis, a master of story-telling and innovating the medium of cinema and motion-capture technology (as seen in The Polar Express), it’s over stylization here gives Marwen a bloated and bizarre entrance; and instead of getting lost in a world, the audience feels more like they are stuck in Marwen with no exit for the film’s two-hour runtime.

While hate and discrimination spark the world of Marwen, love and determination save it. Yet, authenticity is lacking within every frame of Welcome To Marwen, especially when a filmmaker like Zemeckis is at the helm; it truly becomes an example of the expectations of film-lovers and how they react to film that’s poorly made or executed with such dissatisfaction.

Based on the true triumph of a man who used his tragic story into a story of success and glory, Hogencamp’s pictures of his figurines of Marwencol were featured in a New York gallery in 2006, and eventually made into a documentary in which this film is based on. While Hogencamp still suffers very severe forms of post-traumatic stress following the incident and violent hate-crime that nearly left him dead, his story is one that inspires so much hope and strength to others who have had near-death experiences, or even just need a little hope in the everyday and mundane difficulties of life. Unfortunately, Welcome To Marwen isn’t the film to illicit many of those feelings.

Isolated from the outside world, threatened by everyday acts and routines and surrounded by endless love and kindness, Mark Hogencamp is the real deal when it comes to overcoming your demons and facing your fears. Sadly, Welcome To Marwen comes short on proving to being a story to ignite emotions of inspiration, hope and new beginnings.… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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