Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Beauty and the Beast was nominated for two Academy Awards this year, but did not win. The nominations were for Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. It lost to Phantom Thread and The Shape of Water respectively. The film is rated PG for some action violence, peril and frightening images.

I liked this mostly live version of the classic tale. I recall seeing the animated version of Beauty and the Beast way back in 1991 accompanied by a child who enjoyed it too. There were two teenage girls sitting nearby who were crying their eyes out at the end of the film. I thought it a little odd, as it wasn’t affecting me that way. But then I was an adult. The films were based on Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 18^th century fairy tale.

Even though I am much older now, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a Beast under a wicked spell who cannot be changed until a lady loves him freely.

Belle (Emma Watson) is an independent young woman, living with her father Maurice (Kevin Kline). When Maurice leaves on business and does not return, Belle ventures out to find him. She happens upon the castle that holds the Beast (Dan Stevens) under his curse, along with all his servants who have been turned into normally inanimate objects that can now speak, as after all, they once were human.

The egotistical hunter and former soldier Gaston (Luke Evans) is intent on having Belle for his bride, and incites the villagers to go after the Beast with destruction on their minds.  The tension mounts as we wonder if the Beast will escape alive.

The sets and costumes were delightful, really well done and consistent to the era we are supposedly seeing in the countryside of France. It is a sweet love story after all, with Belle growing to like the ungainly beast, and he loving her in return. The music written by Alan Menken is really quite lovely, and the songs, lyrics by various writers, are sung well and add another dimension to the story.

Watching Emma Watson play Belle, I kept being reminded of Kristen Stewart who famously played Bella in The Twilight Saga films. Why this kept happening I’m not sure. Could be their looks, or perhaps their acting?

The ensemble cast that lent their voice talents to the servants cast under the spell along with the Beast included Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, and Stanley Tucci.

I watched Beauty and the Beast at home one evening when I needed something light and uplifting to raise my spirits, as there has been so much hate and negativity in the world lately. Maybe it is a fairy tale, and we all know just because a woman loves a flawed man he won’t miraculously turn into a nice guy for her affections. But then this is a fairy tale, a story that can give hope, and so for a couple hours that’s what we escape to. Hope.