From the award-winning director Robert Zemeckis, who brought the world numerous classic films including ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Back to the Future’, comes ‘Welcome to Marwen’.

The film follows the true story of Mark Hogancamp, an artist who struggles to cope with life following a vicious assault.

Mark, played by Steve Carrell, is left unable to remember his old life following his beating, and also suffers from severe anxiety and PTSD, leading him to take solace in the town of Marwen, a model town he has created to tell the story of Cap’n Hogie, his action figure alter-ego.

The characters of Marwen are all based on real life people Mark knows – his care giver, an injured soldier who helped him during his rehabilitation, his close friend Roberta. The town is set in Nazi occupied Belgium, where the Nazis represent his attackers.

The film is split between Mark’s real life, as he struggles with an addiction to prescribed medication and to face his attackers – who are on trial for their crime – and events in Marwen, which are CGI animated.

The film is presented in such a creative way, with the action scenes of Marwen like something straight out of a war film, contrasted with the benign everyday life of an ordinary man. The film’s pace can change in a second, giving it an unpredictable aura.

As it goes on, the lines between real life and Marwen become more and more blurred, allowing the viewer to understand from Mark’s point of view how the toys provide him comfort following his experiences.

Steve Carrell, mostly known for comedic roles but more and more becoming a go-to man in the world of drama, plays the role of the troubled photographer to perfection.

At times he is uncomfortable to watch, as he struggles to live a semi-normal life despite the fact he has no memory of his former self. Some scenes are so awkward they make you squirm in your seat, and yet we are left with a lot of sympathy for him.

In the end, ‘Welcome to Marwen’ is worth the watch simply for the incredibly sad and yet hopeful story of Mark Hogancamp.