Debbie Djordjevic reviews the charming new comedy We Bought A Zoo…
Journalist Benjamin Mee bought the zoo in question in 2006 in Dartmouth here in the UK and still runs it to this day. The Benjamin Mee of ‘We Bought a Zoo’ by 20th Century Fox, is a journalist who gives up his job and yes, buys a zoo, this time in sunny California.
Don’t let this put you off however. Glossy it may be with Matt Damon as the journalist and family man, and Scarlett Johansson as the zookeeper, this still has real family crises, problems, feelings and sensibilities at its heart.
This is a story about coping with loss and grief. Benjamin Mee’s wife and the mother to his two children has died and in their own way each family member is dealing with this awful loss. It’s a story about being absorbed in your own problems to the extent that you don’t see anyone else’s. Ultimately it’s a story of survival, growth and ultimate happiness. Everything, in fact, that makes a good story that engages, involves and makes you think up until the final scene.
Avoiding the mums at the school gates who all want to provide food and prove the old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, Benjamin has to find a way of re-engaging with his teenage son and seven year old daughter. He decides to follow his own belief that ‘all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage and something great will come out of it’ by moving and starting afresh. He therefore goes on a house-hunting mission with the hilarious JB Smoove who is on his first day as a Real Estate Agent.
Several houses later they find the perfect house with a perfect problem – it comes with a zoo and under the terms of State Law the new owners have to maintain the zoo and its animals. They also have to work alongside the small team of employees headed up by Scarlett Johansson who has given up her life to dedicate her time to the animals.
The film has some laughs, some great animals and an appeal that stretches across the generations. It’s truly a family based adventure which has you crying one minute and laughing the next. We loved Matt Damon in this. An older and slightly more stocky Matt Damon is still one we could watch happily for a few hours. Scarlett Johansson provides an attractive opposite and the kids are cute and sassy.
I really enjoyed it and I know you will too. It made me think of what I would do if I had the chance to start over. Where would I go? (owning a spa in Thailand has always appealed).
Watch the film trailer here…
20th Century Fox is generously offering one lucky reader a Detox Package at Dove Spa (23 UK locations), including a Full Body Scrub, Detox Wrap, Brightening Mini Facial and a £30 Travel Allowance.
For a chance to win this prize, simply follow Chérie City on Facebook and comment on this post, telling us what you would do if you had the chance to start over and make your own ’20 seconds of insane courage’.
You can also like the movie on Facebook.
UK Release Date 16th March 2012
Terms & Conditions:
· Entrants must be 18 or over and entry is limited to one per person.
· The winner must claim the prize within 48 hours of contact, or a new winner will be selected.
· Appointments at Dove Spa are subject to availability and the winner will follow the booking conditions specified by Dove Spa.
· The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternatives will be offered.
· Closing date: Midnight on 30th March 2012.
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