Collateral Beauty

Will Smith plays Steve Jobs (so to speak) - he's actually Howard, who's daughter has died at a young age and he has given up on working, lost his marriage, and lives a mute hermit-like existence.  Of course he's rich and brilliant and coddled so he can get by in Manhattan without blinking an eye.

His co-workers need him to snap out of it, mainly so they can sell Howard's company and get rich.  So they (Kate Winslett, Edward Norton, Michael Pena) hatch a plan to hire three actors (Helen Mirren, Jacob Latimore and the lovely Keira Knightly) to "gaslight" Howard [ I just looked that up - to make him think he's crazy].

So at heart it's an elaborate ruse that would only work with a willing audience.  And that, we are.
The three actors are personifications of Love, Time and Death and they interact with Howard in various ways.  At the same time they interact with the three co-workers.  So it becomes an interwoven ensemble piece like Christmas Day or Love Actually, with a Larger Message.

* * * of 5




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