After watching the preview of “Welcome to Marwen”, I expected a heart warming story of a man’s recovery. However, after listening to others, I only heard negatives, but I had to see for myself.

“Welcome to Marwen” animates a real life story of Mark Hogancamp who suffers traumatic injuries after an attack by Nazis during World War II. After the accident, he had no memory and no one expected him to recover, making this part of the movie a clear tear jerker. To cope with his trauma, the main character, played by Steve Carell, creates a world made up of dolls. Each doll that he created looks similar to their real life counterparts . This was honestly one of the coolest parts, because he was able to turn real people into dolls.

Using memories of his past and new life, he creates a world where he can get better and be the hero in his town. Drawing strength from this fake reality, Mark develops confidence in his real life. Watching this part filled me with joy as the character restored his strength .

The village that Mark creates takes place in wartime Belgium. Each of the dolls represents a person that is present in Mark’s life. The village is made up of himself, a group of women who are his protectors and the Nazis that attacked him.

Not only is this movie about a comeback from a traumatic event, but it is also a love story. Mark falls in love with a women named Nicol, who is played by Leslie Mann. In his fake world , he incorporates a doll for her and they end up getting married. Although when Mark asks her in real life, he is denied.

This movie is truly heartwarming, as the viewer sees the development of Mark from rock bottom all the way through his recovery. For example, we see the brutal scene where Mark is beaten up or when he struggles to walk to him being fully functional.

Although I heard that “Welcome to Marwen” was a disappointing film, after watching it, I couldn’t disagree more. Since it was based on a true story, the movie itself couldn’t have been more powerful. After watching the character development and knowing the story behind this movie, I believe it deserves an eight out of 10. For only $11.75 and a quick ride, “Welcome to Marwen” is worth the watch.