Monuments movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: Monuments

This quirky indie film is available on VOD and Digital on August 3, 2021.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 34 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

A young widower sidesteps grief, loss, and familial dysfunction when he steals his wife’s ashes and sets off on an impulsive odyssey through America’s heartland to find something he’d lost long before her death. The film is directed by Jack C. Newell with writing help by Rebecca Fons.

THINGS I LIKED:

David Sullivan plays the perfect Every Man.
Marguerite Moreau adds a lovely spark. Other cast members include Joel Murray, Paulina Olszynski, Rivkah Reyes, and David Pasquesi.
The dance scene in the bar was fun and unexpected.
There were some strange music choices that just made the movie more quirky and random.
The oddball road trip keeps things moving and you never know where it’s going to go.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

There are flashbacks that blend with the widower seeing his wife again, making the timeline a little bit confusing at times for some viewers.
Some scenes are just bizarre.
It’s a little slow-moving.
The takeaway lessons are cliched, yet we all still need to be reminded of them.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be completely bored.
You see the corner of a bed shaking with some sound effects that imply hanky panky.
Lots of alcohol.
Talk of death.
Some profanity.

THEMES:

Marriage
Appreciating and living life
Learning to let go
Death
Taking risks.
Control

FUNNY LINES:

“I can’t believe I’m related to you Yahoos.” – cop
“I thought being by my family would be good for us. They’re just weirder than I remember.” – Laura Daniels (Marguerite)
“I outfoxed the fox and you’re the fox.” – Tracy/Howl (Javier Munoz)

INTERESTING LINES:

“The only afterlife is those of us left behind.” – Ted Daniels (David Sullivan)
“Nothing says ‘I was here’ like a monument.” – Ted Daniels (David Sullivan)
“Death used to be so audacious.” – Ted Daniels (David Sullivan)
“If you can’t make a statement with your death, then what does your life mean?” – Ted Daniels (David Sullivan)
“I can’t do anything with ‘Sorry’. Action, Ted!” – Laura Daniels (Marguerite Moreau)