"How do you feel about growing a beard?" - Belle, Beauty and the Beast 'movie review'

Halloooooo!!

Time for another movie 'review' and what better movie to discuss than the highest grossing film of 2017 so far?

I was never really a Beauty and the Beast fan. I mean, I liked the story and was fascinated with the rose, but I didn't like the fact that the Beast turned into the blond prince at the end of the film. That is why I absolutely love the cheeky little phrase: "How do you feel about growing a beard?" in this live action remake. Yes, Belle, yes!

To start with a short synopsis of my thoughts: the movie is visually stunning, not yet convinced about Emma's Belle and absolutely LOVED the household 'staff'. Especially Lumière ^^

** spoilers free **

2017
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Josh Gad, Sir Ian McKellen,...
Length: 2h 9min
Genre: Disney, musical
8/10

Lets just get the one thing I'm not convinced about out of the way right from the start. Emma Watson as Belle. I'm a bit apprehensive on her acting abilities. I absolutely love her as Hermione (duh) and as Sam in the Perks of Being a Wallflower, but in this movie I saw too much Emma and too little Belle. Not to say she was horrific, but I had expected to see Belle instead of Emma. This might be due to all the press prior to the movie release: the change of Belle being the inventor and not her father, the more feminist touch in the film, etc. But I have a sneaky suspicion I might change my mind on that once all the press and media attention has died down. I do love the film :)

So, after getting this one minor 'issue' out of the way, lets get on with the raving :D

Warm and fuzzy
That is how I felt leaving the cinema. All warm and fuzzy.

Visually the movie is stunning. Camera angles, special effects, ... The lot. I could watch the "Be Our Guest" sequence all day. It's absolutely gorgeous. CGI on the Beast is mind blowingly done. Lumière, Cogsworth, Plumette, mrs Pott,... Everyone. At first I was like "Whut? Mrs Potts' face is on the side of the tea pot?" But it works! It just works. Motion capture has come so far! Whether it is the entire body movements or just the facial expressions, absolutely beautiful.

Be Our Guest on repeat
The cast is sublime. Apart from my reservations about Emma, there is no denying she has talent. Her singing voice so delicate and light. Could listen to it all day :) Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen, my two favourites, are playing besties. Absolutely fell in love with both of them. Lumière is this charming French men, ahum, candelabra, who is madly in love with Plumette and is the brains behind the whole 'curse-breaking-scheme'. Cogsworth is this grumpy clock, who wants to be all important and trying not to upset the master and has constant arguments with Lumière. And yet they get on so well. So true to the original ^^ Emma Thompson is a worthy mrs Potts who sings 'Beauty and the Beast' truthfully. LeFou was a bit less evil than the animated version, but Gaston made up in evilness (is that even a word?). Dan Stevens as The Beast was funny once he stopped being such a grumpy 'man' and you could see what Belle starts to see in him as well :) They've made that transition very well. It is still odd to see Dan in any other roll than Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey x)

There was a bit too much singing for my liking, but it's no deal breaker. Just some extra verses to a few well known songs and 4 completely news songs. But oh my, when Be Our Guest began ... I could watch it on repeat. It is already spectacular in the original, so imagine this ;)

Background stories
A certain scene was added, which I think was a bit unnecessary. They really wanted to give Belle a background story, but unlike in Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella, it wasn't really necessary. The message of the story is and will always be: beauty is within. Anything extra can be an added bonus in some cases, in others not. But I wouldn't say it's a deal breaker in this one :)

The start of the movie on the other hand is really well done. It really sets up the story and gives you that little more background to the Beast ^^ It starts pretty similar to Cinderella I couldn't help but notice: with a voice over :)

The very last scene in the film, that is the first moment in the film I saw Emma was Belle and Dan as the Beast. So, I mean, I'm going to change my mind on Emma's Belle probably. The more I'll see the movie, the more I'll love it. I love it already :D

If you've made it this far, congratulations^^

Thanks for reading!
xo - Sara