*. Welcome to Marwen is a biopic based on the life of the photographer Mark Hogancamp, whose story had already been told in the acclaimed documentary Marwencol. As I said in my notes on that film, Hogancamp’s story is compelling but it’s really a pretty humdrum doc that didn’t give me much insight into his personality. Welcome to Marwen tries to do more, but left me even more frustrated.
*. First and foremost, I wasn’t sure how much of it was true and how much only “inspired by” Hogancamp’s story. Did the real Mark Hogancamp have a breakdown during a sentencing hearing for the men who nearly killed him, running screaming from the courtroom? Did he really propose to Nicole, the woman who lived across the street from him? Did she really have a scary ex? Or were scenes like these just made up for the movie?
*. You can tell what would have attracted Hollywood, and Robert Zemeckis in particular, to the material. Hogancamp is, after all, an auteur: building sets, creating characters, writing a script, and shooting film of an alternative reality that provides an escape and an antidote to reality. All that and the chance to do some state-of-the-art animation as well. How could you miss?
*. Well, miss they did. By a mile. I got the sense that Steve Carell literally didn’t have any idea how he was supposed to play Hogancamp so just settled on distant. But then he wasn’t given a lot of help. Despite foregrounding a lush psychodrama I still have no idea what makes the guy tick. He’s lonely, sure. But what exactly does his obsession with women’s shoes and stockings amount to? Is it even sexual? The movie offers us nothing.
*. I could go on here but I don’t want to because I really hated this movie. Why so strong a reaction? Because they took a dark and difficult story and dressed it up as the usual Hollywood tripe about the triumph of the human spirit. Some of that might have to do with making a biopic of a living figure, which means any sort of critical attitude or exploration was off the table. But the rest of it?
*. And so Hogancamp’s male friends, who we met in Marwencol so we know they exist, disappear completely and we get a message about how women are the greatest (I think at one point the title was actually going to be The Women of Marwen). Then, as the music soars, the Nazis are finally defeated, Mark stands up to his tormentors in court, and his anxiety pills all get tossed down the sink! His photography show opens at a swank gallery and his gal pal tells him “Gosh darn Mark, you did it.” Did he ever!
*. To take a story that is, as I say, as dark and complicated as this and turn it into such feel-good cartoon pap is inexcusable. And it’s all very dull too. In any event, critics weren’t impressed and audiences hated it, turning it into one of the year’s biggest bombs. A fate that this time was entirely deserved.
Alex on Film 
yeah, not exactly something audiences would eat up.
Sounds like not even ewoks could have saved this movie….
Have ewoks ever saved a movie? I can only think of one that they almost ruined.
Not a fan of the little guys, you can tell. Though they’re good with rigging forest booby-traps.
I don’t like them either. Which is why I mentioned them in regards to a movie you disliked so much 😉
Actually, now that I think about it, I think ewoks have saved just as many movies as the gungans……
You got me. I had to look up gungan. Yeah, they were another mistake. I think maybe Lucas got carried away by all the praise the bar scene in Star Wars received and figured everyone loved his weird creatures.
Oh, Lucas could never make up his mind if his stories were for kids or adults. He was forced to make movies for adults since he didn’t have nearly as much control for the original 3 movies. But once the prequels came out, he had control and he told kids stories. Because that’s what he thought about Star Wars.
I have to confess I think I only watched the first film of the second trilogy. The Phantom Menace? I loved the first two when I was a kid, seeing them in the cinema. After that I sort of lost interest. I don’t follow the Star Wars universe now at all. I always figured I’d catch up some day, but I’m not in any rush.
I wouldn’t bother. Lucas holed the ship and Disney completely torpedoed it.
Yikes. I do like Steve Carrell – not only for the comedy, but he’s also (usually) great when he plays straight too. Watched Foxcatcher only the other week, and he’s brilliantly creepy. A good cast in that all round.
But anyway: the first one I couldn’t get my head around. The second one sounds like it’s putting a bow on a pair of socks. But a Nazi bow.
I’m starting to wonder about Carell. I loved him in The Office but I said in my notes on Foxcatcher that I had some serious reservations about his role in that movie. I thought Anne Hathaway upstaged him totally in Get Smart. And here he’s really no good at all.
But he’s so enigmatic in that film. I didn’t know how to feel about him. The nose was off putting though. Link to Foxcatcher?
Here:
I didn’t notice the gay theme at all! Interesting. I think we disagree on a few things – it isn’t dull! – but du Pont’s awkwardness is part of what makes him great. And I wouldn’t call him sympathetic either – he’s a bit of a prick.
I have no idea who Steve Carrell is, I’m happy with that. I have seen some of the photographs Steve Hogankampf took, and without context they’re fun, not so much with.
You never saw the American Office? It was pretty good. Except for the last couple of seasons (after Carell left).
No, didn’t even watch the original.
Oh, Fraggle!
What??? It was too cringey!!
The American version was gentler. Less cringe, more laughs. You should give it a try!
Where is the quiz?
Hmmm. Not on this page. Must be somewhere else . . .
Yikes, I just found it, I’m calling social services, don’t touch anything, professional help is coming….