Beauty and The Beast (2017) film review

Year: 2017
Running Time: 129 minutes
Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stanley Tucci, Hattie Morahan

Beauty and The Beast is now showing everywhere and is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

Disney's second time round with Beauty and The Beast breathes spectacular new life into the much adored classic while always remaining lovingly respectful to the original fairy tale and animated original.

For a film that is so enchanting, whimsical and charming, it is incredible how much criticism and backlash Beauty and The Beast has received right through from it's initial announcement in June 2014 to it's recording breaking release in the United States last week and in Australia this week. While a film that has so far made over $460 million worldwide is clearly not being hurt by any criticism it has received, Bill Condon's Beauty and The Best certainly deserves to be defended from the unwarranted, meaningless and clueless backlash it has received.

While it is based on the original story written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and revised by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, the film is more so a live-action love letter to it's animated older sibling released by Disney in 1991. In the quaint French village of Villeneuve, Belle (portrayed by Emma Watson) is an outsider as even though she is beautiful, she is considered peculiar as she seems happier with her nose in a book than responding to Gaston's (Luke Evans) romantic advances. Her wishes for adventure are answered when her father (Kevin Kline) is captured by the terrifying Beast (Dan Stevens) in his castle and when Belle ventures to rescue him, she offers herself as prisoner in order for her father to be set free. During her period of stay, Belle finds herself strangely and increasingly drawn towards the Beast and she may be the one to set he and the enchanted members of his household free from their damning spell.

When Disney officially announced that it would be remaking one of it's own into a live action film, it was met with a great deal of scepticism. Since then, it has been met with the predictable backlash that occurs when a beloved family classic is remade. Much of the criticism has proved to have been unwarranted since the release of this film, but Beauty and The Beast has also attracted controversy for it's romanticising of Stockholm Syndrome (which is also completely predictable) and it's very brief "gay scene" (if you can even call it a scene). However, Disney deserves praise once again for overcoming the obstacles of the remake and also deserves defence against the controversy.

The inevitable question that had to be asked in June 2014 was "Why would Disney want to remake a near-perfect film?"

It's a valid question. When Beauty and The Beast was released in 1991, it became the first animated feature film to be nominated in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards. It became an instant Disney classic and still remains a favourite Disney film for many, many people. Remakes are absolutely in fashion at the moment and it's not completely crazy to believe that Disney could have just fallen in step with this fad.

However, this is Disney we are talking about. The empire has had tremendous success turning their animations into live action (eg. Cinderella and The Jungle Book) and expanding the universe of their classics (eg. Maleficent and no doubt the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns). If there is one studio that could pull off this mammoth task of bringing Beauty and The Beast to the world of live action and coming away with a success, it is Disney...and they have delivered. That's not just in regards to the incredible box office earnings thus far either.

Beauty and The Beast is truly an exquisite piece of cinema that is absolutely beautiful to behold. Although it is not as grandly emotional, it is certainly touching and very family friendly. Did it need to be remade? Of course it didn't need to. However, Disney saw that the opportunity was there for it's 1991 film to be remade and use live action thanks to the advances in CGI to create something different and special. The CGI does incredible things for the film and helps to make memorable scenes from the original even more memorable and spectacular (including the pivotal dancing "Beauty and The Beast" scene and "Something There" in the snow). The CGI also brings such characters of Lumiere (Ewan McGregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) to life and gives them more refined and intriguing features than what we saw in the animation.

Whilst many will argue that this 2017 film is too much like the original, this is simply not true. One only needs to revisit the original to realise that there are many differences. There are many similarities there too, but with live action comes a whole set of new rules which need to be abided by which don't apply as much to animation. For example, character development is far more important in live action than it is in it's animated counterpart. This is a real treat for those who are fans of the 1991 original, as the characters of Belle, Beast and Gaston (to a lesser extent) are opened up. Although her singing voice may not be as powerful as one would hope for this role, Emma Watson does Belle great justice. She personifies what Belle is about and shows how her character truly is a modern girl in a time where she didn't belong. This does admittedly fit Watson's real life persona, but this character trait and her soft, but strong performance as Belle makes her a perfect Disney princess for these times.

The live action also obviously calls for a different mode of direction and bringing several of the musical numbers to life would have been no simple task. Bill Condon's direction of these Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice musical numbers (several of which were also adapted for this film) is superb and although animation can do a great deal with these songs, what live action gives the viewer is definitely more impressive, especially during "Belle" and "Gaston".

One issue that is always brought to light when Beauty and The Beast is spoken of is the presence of Stockholm Syndrome, which is the concept of the captured coming to feel empathy or developing strong feelings for their capturer through manipulation. It was only inevitable that this was going to arise with the release of this film. Also there is it predictable wrath of those who believe that Beauty and The Beast is dangerously sexist as it depicts a woman being captured and abused by a tyrannical beast. Both of these arguments are redundant here. Belle was never actually captured in this film nor in the original, as her father was captured and she demanded a switch. If there are similarities to Stockholm Syndrome (which there are very little when you look at the actual definition), that is the fault of the original story and not of the filmmakers. However, the condition wasn't even acknowledged until the 1970's so it is highly unlikely this was a theme on the intent in the original story. Beauty and The Beast has always been a romantic fairy tale about not judging a book by it's cover and this is the way it should be read.

Finally, the biggest and most controversial talking point in the past week has been the very brief acknowledgement of Gaston's sidekick, LeFou (played by Josh Gad) as homosexual. Several cinemas around the world have banned the film from being shown because of this inclusion. One can only imagine that the large majority of the outraged haven't actually seen the film, as what they are so up in arms about takes up only a matter of seconds in over two hours. There is absolutely nothing in these few seconds of screen time which is damaging, graphic or crude and all you would have to do is blink to miss it. This controversy is a massive overreaction and there are far more important things to be outraged about in this world rather than whether a Disney film has maybe 20 seconds where a man looks lovingly at another man.

Beauty and The Beast has overcome a great deal of scepticism to become a beautiful film that is an enjoyable and stunning companion piece to it's animated original. It's controversy is completely unfounded and should be enjoyed and praised for exactly what it is.

8/10

August: Osage County (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 121 minutes
Director: John Wells
Writer: Tracy Letts (play and screenplay)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Sam Shepherd, Margo Martindale, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Misty Upham

August: Osage County is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Pulitzer Prize winner, August: Osage County could not possibly have made its switch to the big screen in a more powerful way.

August: Osage County doesn't hold anything back and it's family politics are a heavy burden on the audience, but in the best possible way. It is almost confusing as to what type of film it actually is. Too heavy and emotionally draining to be a comedy, but too many laughs and speckled with black humour to be labelled a drama. However, there is no way of getting around the appreciation for its wonderfully adapted screenplay and also its quality performances, especially by the consistently brilliant Meryl Streep.

As the film opens on Beverly Weston (Sam Shepherd) describing how he and his wife, Violet (Meryl Streep) have an unspoken agreement in their marriage where he drinks and she takes pills, the foundation is set for understanding that this is one intense family. When Beverly disappears, the whole family is reunited which brings all the problems they have with one another to a head. The Westons three daughters, Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and Karen (Juliette Lewis), who are all incredibly different try to keep the peace for their parents, but trouble finds them whether they like it or not.

As the above poster for August: Osage County suggested, this film is very much like being seated at somebody else's family dinner table and being confronted with all their problems. It is incredibly uncomfortable and often cringe-worthy and embarrassing, but there is something so wrongly entertaining and exciting about it. You want to go and tell everyone you know about it, if you didn't feel so tired and emotionally drained from it. This is August: Osage County to a tee. It is wonderful and exhausting.

The dialogue is brilliantly worded in a very well constructed screenplay, but this is only to be expected considering the author of the play, Tracy Letts also wrote the screenplay. The conclusion of the film doesn't offer any uplifting message which will not be to the liking of those who want to be given atonement. The opportunity is there to take from the film what you think it is trying to tell you. Whether it be that children exhibit the same behaviours as their parents whether they see it or not, that you can't choose your family members, that we are all covering up secrets or even if this is just a source of entertainment and you are not supposed to take anything from it, it is really up to the individual to decide. Visually there are some incredible shots of the Oklahoma country side throughout the film. It is really quite an oxymoron as the countryside is so peaceful, yet inside the Weston's house it is complete mayhem.

In conjunction with the wonderful dialogue, it is the incredible performances of complex characters which really make August: Osage County a success. Meryl Streep is such a powerful force as the head of the Weston family. Violet is not a pleasant lady, but she commands everyone's respect as the family's matriarch. Streep is incredible in this role and she brings out so many different facets of Violet's personality. She is a thrill to watch and highly entertaining, but always leaves you feeling unsettled and just a bit scared.

Julia Roberts also does her best acting in years. Her performance is so controlled and maybe a little too neat at times, but still very powerful. Her character is very much like her mother as she is very complex and Roberts is able to give us so much information about Barbara just through little moments throughout the film. Roberts and Streep have perfect chemistry as well, playing the tense mother and daughter roles very well. The chemistry also between Roberts and her on screen husband, Bill (Ewan McGregor) and daughter, Jean (Abigail Breslin) is perfect. The scene between the three of them outside at night is unforgettable.

Every actor does very well in the film. Benedict Cumberbatch is particularly impressive, as his character of Little Charlie shows the true anxiety of being in a family like this. The scene at the bus stop between he and his father, played by Chris Cooper is perfect representation of how any normal person would react having to be subjected to this. Cooper is also wonderful, as his performance is not over the top, but subtle and powerful in its subtlety.

While often uncomfortable due to it's burdening weight, August: Osage County is powerful in a most welcomed fashion with memorable performances by a truly stellar cast.

8/10

Jack The Giant Slayer (2013)

Year: 2013

Director: Bryan Singer

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ian McShane

Before I begin my review…

I know this has got hardly anything to do with the movie, but how good is the name Jack?

Jack will never go out of style. The name suits a little boy, a young man and an older man. It is such a distinguished and strong name. A Jack is not to be taken lightly. A Jack will do many great things. The fairy tale which Jack The Giant Slayer is based on, Jack And The Beanstalk does not have a Jack has the protagonist for no reason.  With a strong name comes a strong will.

I may be of a slightly bias opinion considering I did name my son Jack.

It is unfortunate that one of the most famous Jack’s in history is Jack The Ripper, but I think we can all get past the fact that it is highly unlikely the notorious serial killer’s name was actually Jack. I think it is safe to assume that whoever it was was a strong person, as well as being insane (we hope).

 I can assure you he is not the Jack I named my Jack after.

As he gets older, I am sure my Jack will love the fact that there is a film called Jack The Giant Slayer. I’m sure I will be watching this on DVD in years to come with my budding little film critic.

Review

Why not make a film based on the fairy tale Jack and The Beanstalk? It seems like everything has to be made into a movie, so why not?

It’s not necessarily a bad thing either, especially in the case of Jack The Giant Slayer. This is one fairy tale that could only be made in a time like now with the amazing cinematic techniques we have in recent times. Could you imagine how ridiculous the giants and the beanstalk reaching to the sky would have looked if made any time before the 1990’s? Animation probably would not have made the film too bad, but real life action would have meant complete B grade, and also maybe cult favourite status.

Jack the Giant Slayer is everything you would expect a fairy tale film to be. It is corny in the way that most fairy tales are, but is still entertaining enough and has some incredible special effects and cinematography.

Our hero, Jack (Nicholas Hoult)is a young farmhand who experiences a twist of fate when he visits the town market in order to sell his horse. He sells his horse to a desperate monk in need of transportation out of the city in exchange for a handful of beans. It is only when a terrible rainstorm occurs, that he realises that these beans are what grows beanstalks that reach high up to the land between Heaven and Earth where giants roam. Jack becomes a key part in the rescue of the Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who has been taken prisoner by the giants and he also must stop Roderick (Stanley Tucci) from achieving his goal which could threaten the kingdom.

The bad things about fairy tales and other well known stories being made into films is that unless the film makers have put their own spin on it, the film is predictable and very rarely has any suspense. This is no surprise and just something we must accept. Sometimes this can be a bore, but Jack The Giant Slayer isn’t that.

As one would expect from director Bryan Singer, the film is very well directed and very entertaining. It is just a fun film and at times, it is more like watching a historical film rather than a fairy tale. The film travels along at a steady pace, but the end seems quite sudden and then almost a little confusing. This in itself is confusing as a story which is quite simple to understand shouldn’t have an ending which confuses people.

Fairy tales are in general entertaining to watch on the big screen, but visually Jack The Giant Slayer is better than most. A great thing about this version of the fairy tale, is that the giants are made to truly look terrifying. They are not just big men, but are all deformed and evil. The beanstalk is also an amazing creation. The CGI of even the tiniest detail of the stalk is incredible. The landscape of each of the two kingdoms are just magnificent.

The time period is very well recreated and quite a pleasure to see. The battle scenes are very well orchestrated and have a slightly Lord of the Rings touch to them.

Nicholas Holt does well as Jack. With his career currently on the up, Hoult shows here that he has no problem being able to carry a film. Ewan McGregor gives a steady performance and his character is extremely likable. Eleanor Tomlinson’s performance is not a huge stand out, but she does do well.

Jack The Giant Slayer is entertaining and well made. It is a visual delight that shows you just how far films have come in regards to special effects and cinematography,

7/10

You may have also seen Nicholas Hoult in....
X-Men: First Class as Hank McCoy/ Beast

You may have also seen Ewan McGregor in....
The Men Who Stare At Goats as Bob Wilton
The Impossible as Henry

You may have seen Stanley Tucci in.....
The Lovely Bones as George Harvey
Easy A as Gill
Captain America: The First Avenger as Dr Abraham Erskine

The Impossible (2012)

Year: 2012

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast

Before I begin my review….

This movie was not an easy watch, and I knew it wouldn’t be. However, I promised myself I would see as many of the Academy Award nominees before the 24^th of February as I can, if not all. I can’t let all of you down! I must do this!

As soon as The Impossible finished, the one thing I really wanted to do was hug my husband and son. The movie struck a personal chord with me being a family woman like Naomi Watts’ character, Maria. It could drive me to insanity being put in a situation where I was separated from my family and didn’t know whether they were alive or dead. I’m the type of person who would see something like the tsunami or the fires which are happening in Australia at the moment, and I have to switch it off because of the terrible stories that come out of it. I just tears me up inside. So after seeing The Impossible, I just wanted to go home and hug my loved ones a little tighter.

So let’s talk Academy Awards before I start my review. This is Naomi Watts’ second nomination in the Best Actress In A Leading Role category, her first being for 21 Grams in 2004.

Honestly, she is brilliant and this is her best work to date. I do believe Watts is better in The Impossible than she was in 21 Grams and her work in this film is Oscar worthy. However, I can’t make a decision on whether she will win the Academy Award as I have only seen one other performance in this category, which is that of Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts Of The Southern Wild (which I will be reviewing next).Two very different performances.

As I said though, I don’t want to make a prediction of who I think is going to win this category until I have seen all four performances.

No doubt Watts is very much deserving of this nomination though.

Review

It is impossible to not be affected on an emotional level by The Impossible.

It is an incredible film, but a terrible film because it deals with something so intense and heart-breaking and has the potential to make you feel as though you have been hit by a bus when you leave the cinema.

On Boxing Day 2004, a tsunami hit south-east Asia which caused widespread devastation along the coast.
The Impossible is based on the true story of one of the holidaying families who were affected by the great natural disaster. Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry Belon (Ewan McGregor) took their three young sons to Khao Lok for an exotic Christmas holiday. They are sitting by the resort’s pool when they hear the dreaded roar of the wave, before it appears wiping out everything in its path. Henry and the two younger boys remain in the vicinity of the hotel, while Maria and Lucas (Tom Holland) are swept away. The whole family fight for survival and in doing so learn about what is really important in life and dream of the time when they are all finally reunited.

Like the Bennett’s, The Impossible reminds you in a very brutal fashion what is important in this life. It is extremely moving and the emotion of the film cuts you to the core. The fact that this is a true story makes it even more intense. The great thing about the story and what makes it suspenseful is that at no point in time are you sure whether all five members of the family will ever be together again.

The film begins in a really interesting fashion. It almost has a horror movie feel to it, as you know the tsunami is the horror of the film and you know the film is building up to it. The black screen with the beginning credits is accompanied by the sounds of the ocean getting louder and louder. A serene and calm beach appears, and the image is interrupted by the deafening and surprising roar of a plane. It is an interesting choice by director, Juan Antonio Bayona, but one that works.

The cinematography is great. The recreation of the tsunami is incredible. The underwater shots of the wave are chaotic and give a dizzy effect, which is just like it would be underwater.

However, as to be expected, there are some very graphic visuals. There is no holding back in the hospital scenes and the injuries which Maria sustains are quite disturbing.

Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are incredible in the two lead roles. Watts gives the performance of her career thus far. She is incredibly powerful and gives an amazingly realistic portrayal as a mother who would lay her life down for her children, but who’s strength is fading fast.

 Watts is deserving of her Oscar nomination, but it is a shame that Ewan McGregor hasn’t been acknowledged in the same way. His performance isn’t quite as graphic or confronting as Watts’, but he does give one of his best dramatic performances of his career. Again, he plays a father trying not to let his young sons see him falling apart, but when he does, it in heart-breaking.

Tom Holland is a star to watch. He is wonderful to watch, and the best thing about his character is that he has amazing character development. Lucas starts off as a typical teenage boy, and develops into a man in a short time.

A beautiful cameo by Geraldine Chaplin is also commendable.

There is nothing subtle about The Impossible. Everything is done to the extreme so it portrays the true horrors endured by this family.  Very hard-hitting and emotionally draining, but very well made and very hard to discard from your thoughts.

8/10

The Men Who Stare At Goats

The Men Who Stare At Goats
Year: 2009
Director: Grant Heslov
Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey

In My Own Words
Despite “The Men Who Stare At Goats” being released in Australia this week, I actually got to see this film while I was in the United States last month. I love Australia, but I hate how long it can take films to get here sometimes. I understand the reason why it is so, but it still doesn’t make it any less annoying when you are dying for a film to arrive here. It took all my might not to buy “The Hurt Locker” on DVD when I was over there so I could watch it at the cinemas when it arrived here. I guess I have to sacrifice some things living in a beautiful country! Although I would love to live in the states as well.

Anyway, that’s enough about me and now onto the film. I really enjoyed this film for the big reason that it is completely different from anything I have seen in a long time. I am all for originality in film and I feel like standing up and cheering when I see something different. Maybe we should all watch this film after we watch “The Hurt Locker”, not so we can learn to laugh at war, but just so we can relax after it. I have not read the book which this film is based on by Jon Ronson, but I have been told that it is extremely funny. It does depend on what type of comedy you like as to whether you will enjoy it though. Some people will find it weird and just plain silly, or even a bit hard to follow. If you like intelligent comedies with a touch of quirkiness and silliness, then you will love this movie. In other words, if you like the Coen brothers, then chances are you will like this film.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The majority if people will be able to realise what type of film this is just by looking at the title “The Men Who Stare At Goats”. Despite the silliness of the title and the comedic nature of the film, this film and the book of the same name which it is based on are in fact true stories. The fact that the film is based on a piece of non-fiction makes it even more intriguing, if not totally bizarre. Journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) arrives in Iraq to cover the war, but instead ends up coming across Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney). Cassidy is an ex member of the New Earth Army, a group of soldiers who claim to have psychic abilities. Wilton is drawn into the world of these soldiers as he learns all the ropes and learns what it takes to fight with your mind rather than with weapons. This film is one that many people will find confusing and downright strange, but others will find hilarious. There are some very funny moments and it is likely that if you find the beginning scene funny, you will find the rest of the movie hilarious.

The movie is completely refreshing and original. It can be a bit slow and a bit tedious at times, but is otherwise quite well done. However, it can be quite confusing and the ending does not feel as conclusive and as fitted together as what it should be. The story is indeed intriguing, but it is unclear as to whether director Grant Heslov is making fun of these soldiers or supporting them. Audience members will leave trying to figure out whether what they saw was based on fact, or was it making fun of what these soldiers believed? However, Heslov does do a very good job in directing this film. The arid scenery is amazing and the recreation of war torn Iraq is definitely noteworthy. The screenplay is well put together and script very witty and humorous. The choice of cast is also a winner. It could not be anything but with the four main male cast members each being marvellous actors in their own right. George Clooney is both hilarious and charming in his role of Lyn Cassidy. Ewan McGregor takes on a type of role that we have not seen him in for quite awhile, that of the inferior come superior. It is like he is playing the flip side of his Star Wars role of Obi-Won Kenobi and does so extremely well. So well that it makes you want to see him in more roles such as this. Jeff Bridges is a favourite in the film and Kevin Spacey, as usual, plays the role of the bad guy with perfection. One just has to feel sorry for the goat, but no animals were harmed during the filming of this movie. So, great performance by the goat who plays dead.

A war/comedy hybrid movie does not come along very often, so this movie is a rarity. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is refreshing and original, but also quite bizarre. It will not be a movie that everyone will find funny or that everyone will like, but it is good clean humour crossed with quirkiness. Fans of Clooney will definitely love this movie, fans of animals, especially goats, may not like it as much.
7/10