Matt Damon gets close with Tiger Spar in We Bought a Zoo. Pic: ©
The grieving family are joined by a mass of endangered animals and an array of eclectic keepers as they work to renovate the crumbling zoo to its former glory.
We meet Benjamin's misbehaving teenage son Dylan (Colin Ford) who struggles to cope with the loss of his mother and eventually finds himself expelled from school. However, his adorable seven year old sibling Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is protected from such bitterness by her lack of years and she's solely responsible for bringing her family to the salvation that is Rosemoor Animal Park. Desperate to escape the haunting memories of a previous life with his wife, Benjamin takes to the rural trails and rolling hills of southern California and embarks on a journey of discovery.
For the most part this feature is faithful to Benjamin's memoirs. The bones of his accounts traverse to screen with a sensitivity only Crowe could provide. Even the blossoming romance between Benjamin and stunning head keeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) is treated with care ensuring his wife Katherine (Stephanie Szostak), seen only intermittently and as a figment of his imagination, remains at the front of the audience’s mind.
Crowe takes us on an emotional rollercoaster breathing light-hearted humour and good old fashioned fun into the sluggishness off grief and loss. The sadness experienced by the Mee's is weaved through this film but the story is lightened by the introduction of hope found in the bond between people and animals. Essentially, We Bought a Zoo focuses on how new people and places can unexpectedly lead to rebirth and rejuvenation after the loss of a loved one.
The 'Bourne' actor Damon, generally associated with action films, has finally turned his hand to something different. And it pays off. He gives a convincing performance, effectively conveying Benjamin's inner turmoil with a mindfulness that’s perhaps not always associated with his craft. Worried this film is just another tear-jerking sob story that pulls relentlessly on your heart strings for a few hours? Don’t be. Benjamin's inner strength is reinforced as Damon skilfully prevents his character from being consumed in the overall weepiness of the story.
However, the biggest achievement of this feature is not its stunning cinematography or sensational soundtrack containing snippet after snippet from the greats such as Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. It's not the unfaltering quality of acting from an impressive list of Hollywood greats. The magic of We Bought a Zoo is in its faithfulness to Benjamin Mee’s experiences. Crowe doesn’t delve into fairytale narratives or force unconvincing and unrealistic endings onto his characters. He’s carefully recreated Benjamin's memoirs with a truthfulness so difficult to find in the work of directors who take on films based around factual events and real-life characters.
This sweet natured treat ultimately succeeds by inviting its audience to enter Benjamin's world in which our back garden can be a zoo and hope can almost always transcend despair.
