FYI, I watched this film almost two months ago although I wrote my
notes well before this.
I had low expectations when we
watched this, so I like it better than I expected or at least I liked it okay
instead of hated it? My expectations for Cinderella barely existed. A friend
pointed out that Cinderella was rather a surprise, that it wasn't emphasized
very much. When movies get tons of attention, I often don't like them because I
forget that I don't have the same taste as other people and raise my standards
unintentionally. I prefer to know little going into books and movies.
So, I had stacked my
expectations (known and unknown) against Beauty and the Beast
~Not Cinderella 2015
~Not my favorite plot
~Star-studded (often means
stars overshadow movie or character or change movie or aren't really a good
fit)
~A musical (I don't dislike
musicals; my favorite music is from musicals, but in terms of overall movie
choice, I prefer a more developed story)
~Director of Twilight vs.
Kenneth Branagh (no wonder Cinderella is so brilliant)
~My dissatisfaction with the
casting and the suspicion that Emma Watson couldn't sing, partially proven by
movie clips
~The moral scandal (and yes,
they did everything quite deliberately with the media focus)
What I liked
~Dan Steven's voice.
~Evermore (I've listened to
this so many times).
~Luke Evan's voice ("Kill
the Beast" is where his vocals really got me).
~Seeing Dan Steven's facial
expressions in the beast (that is so fascinating).
What I disliked aesthetically
~I preferred the bright, clear,
sparkling, sunny visuals of Cinderella, and I prefer the greater depth in
Cinderella that a non-musical allows.
~My favorite musical themes
were cut short.
~I prefer the original version
of "Beauty and the Beast."
What I disliked in the plot
~The original movie had enough
plot lines, this one added more and increased the old ones, so much so I felt
that Belle and the Beast's romance and the Beast's transformation is eclipsed;
both feel comparatively short or rushed, and I feel like they hardly get any
attention at the end.
~Enough has been said on the
moral issues that I won't address it here except to state that besides the
subplot being distraction, the immorality is also a distraction.
What I disliked about the
casting and acting
~Star-studded casts often means
stars overshadow movie or character or change movie or aren't really a good fit
and all three apply for Emma Watson in this; she overacts and cannot sing (you
would think an excellent voice is essential for a role in a musical, but after
seeing the movie versions of Les Misérables and The
Phantom of the Opera, I wasn't surprised).
~I love Dan Stevens as Edward
Ferrars, he is adorable, but he is not the Greco-Roman looking blond god-figure
the animated version promised. He is sweet and candid looking, not the kind of
handsome that can really pull off regal dignity and arrogance.
~I wasn't happy with Luke Evans
either, he is too old and not the fleshy, bold Gaston kind of handsome (I don't
think he handsome in this film at all), but I think he performed his
role the best.
Labels: Movie Reviews