Beauty and the Beast: dazzling and nostalgic

Beauty and the Beast: dazzling and nostalgic

right from the start, when the Beast as a human (played by Dan Stevens) – in his massive white wig and make-up – is partying with his courtiers. But there’s one track both, kids and adults are bound to enjoy. Be our guest, performed by the film’s personified objects in a part-Broadway-part-burlesque style, is almost psychedelic but a definite thrill.

Beauty and the Beast

• Director: Bill Condon
• Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson.
• Runtime: 129 minutes

Emma Watson as Belle the bookworm yearning for a life of adventure is perfect. And the Beast’s transformation from monster to man never really jars. The big waltz performance with the two though, underwhelmed. Especially when Belle, human in all her glory, didn’t quite match a CGI motion captured Beast dancing by her side. It’s one of the few shortcomings of the film, where special effects don’t seamlessly blend with the live action portions. It’s most apparent when the focus shifts onto the household objects. Even big names Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Emma Thompson (Mrs Potts) and Ewan McGregor (Lumière) can’t quite humanise the objects they play. Then there’s Gaston (Luke Evans), an arrogant former soldier turned hunter, who deftly evokes the ill-feeling his character deserves. His sidekick and subordinate in crime is Lefou (played by Josh Gad) who will be long remembered after the film is over. And as for all the brouhaha about Disney’s first gay character, I’d have expected the film to be a lot more scandalous.

There’s been a fair amount of hype surrounding the film ever since teasers were first released in late 2015. Even if you haven’t seen the animated original, the 2017 remake will leave you reminiscing about childhood. That nostalgia and buoyant feeling is alone worth watching Beauty and the Beast