Collateral Beauty (2016)

Collateral Beauty Poster

Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Introduction
"Collateral Beauty" is a 2016 American drama movie directed by David Frankel and written by Allan Loeb. The movie includes an ensemble cast consisting of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet, and Helen Mirren. The movie checks out the themes of loss, recovery, and the extensive connections that bind us all.

Plot Overview
In "Collateral Beauty", Will Smith plays Howard, a successful New York marketing executive who suffers a fantastic tragedy that sends him into a deep anxiety. His grieving process takes an unique turn when he starts writing letters, not to individuals, but to Love, Death, and Time - personified concepts he believes eliminated everything he loves. As his obsessed and concerned coworkers observe him tearing his life apart, they develop an apparently restorative but non-traditional strategy.

Unconventional Intervention
Howard's colleagues - Whit (Edward Norton), Claire (Kate Winslet), and Simon (Michael Peña) - hire three struggling stars to represent Love (Keira Knightley), Time (Jacob Latimore), and Death (Helen Mirren) in person. These abstract concepts, appearing as human beings, interact with Howard on numerous occasions, sparking potent conversations about the interweaving of the trio in everyone's lives. The objective of this creative intervention is to break Howard from his shell of seclusion and bring him back to reality, also to contradict his mindset in the business where he holds bulk shares, making the method for its sale.

Parallel Personal Struggles
Concurrently, these extensive interactions provoke Whit, Claire, and Simon to face their personal issues. Whit battles with feelings of regret after destroying his relationship with his daughter due to extramarital relations, while Claire comes to grips with her ticking body clock and unsatisfied motherhood dreams. Simon, on the other hand, is privately handling a major health condition that he's been concealing from his family.

Discovering Collateral Beauty
As Howard seeks answers from the universe by composing letters to Love, Time, and Death, he finds out that even loss can expose minutes of significance and appeal. With the assistance of a sorrow support system and its leader Madeleine (Naomie Harris), Howard begins to heal and acknowledge the "collateral beauty" - the extensive appeal in the deep linking moments that can be found even in the most agonizing experiences of life.

Surprise Twist
Towards the end, the movie provides a surprise twist exposing that the actors hired to represent Love, Time, and Death might not be stars at all, but rather metaphysical entities that assisted each one of them, not just Howard, pertained to terms with their specific battles. It also reveals that Madeleine is, in fact, Howard's separated spouse, and it was their daughter's death that pressed Howard into reclusion.

Conclusion
"Collateral Beauty" is about discovering solace throughout the darkest times and understanding the complex ties in between love, time, and death in forming our lives. It is about approval, redemption, and the indisputable charm in the inmost discomforts of human existence. The movie tries to stimulate an introspective journey into how we perceive and deal with loss, our worries, and regrets, underlining the concept of connecting deeply with the world in times of individual misery.

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