Thursday, April 27, 2017

Review: Beauty and the Beast 2017

Disney’s new live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” skillfully supplements and expands on the original by putting more attention on character development and neatly tying up a few plot holes, but if you’ve never seen the original and you’re wondering which one to see first, they’re effectively the same movie.

The main story remains the same--long ago, a cruel prince was cursed to become a hideous beast unless he can learn to love and be loved in return before an enchanted rose loses all of its petals. In addition, every one of his servants takes the form of a piece of furniture or kitchenware. Down in a nearby provincial town, well-read outcast Belle discovers the Beast after her father ends up his prisoner. She takes her father’s place, and slowly, she and the Beast fall for each other.

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens deliver exceptional performances as Belle and the Beast, respectively, and writers Evan Spiliotopoulos and Stephen Chbosky effectively sell their romance in a convincing way, with new, character-central scenes in addition to brand new songs. In particular, the Beast's new song "Evermore" resonates with emotion, as he laments his selfless decision to give Belle her freedom so she can save her father from danger.

But what really sells this movie are the minor characters. Each of the main servants gets a chance to tell their story or to share their philosophy on their curse, giving even more personality to these already beloved characters. The villain Gaston, played by Luke Evans, is also given more screen time to play up how cartoonish this brutish and thick-headed this huntsman is. The biggest change comes with Lefou, Gaston’s ever-present manservant, who’s been given an entire character arc in this remake.

Director Bill Condon said in an interview with the New York Times, “LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings.” There were undertones in the original that seemed to suggest the manservant had feelings for Gaston, but this remake makes him the first officially gay Disney character--and has gotten a certain amount of backlash as a result. Still, his character seems to straddle the line between fleshed-out character and flamboyant stereotype, his femininity often played up for laughs. Yet he's far from a token character, with his own motives and morals to flesh him out as his own person.

Overall, the remake stays true to the original almost religiously, but what changes it does make are, for the most part, good ones. While it’s probably not a must-see, audience members may find it hard to see anything disappointing in this artfully done, visually stunning remake.


At a glance:

  • Beauty and the Beast (2017)
  • Disney live-action feature film
  • When her father is captured by a hideous beast, Belle offers to take his place and discovers that the beast is really a selfish prince who has been transformed by a powerful curse, and must fall in love in order to break it. 
  • Stars: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans
  • Rating: 4/5
  • Rotten tomatoes score: 71%
  • "What Beauty and the Beast rises or falls on is the love story, and here, allowed to slow down to let in intimate moments, the movie catches fire. It's an exhilarating gift."--Peter Travers

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