If you liked "Alice in Wonderland" (2010), there's a fair chance you will like the 2014 version of the traditional tale of Beauty and the Beast, too. While it's not directed in the spirit of quirky Tim Burton extravaganzas, it shares a problem of recent Burton work: overindulgence of colors & effects - and emotional underachievement.
While certainly great to look at, with many spectacular set-pieces, the film makes it hard for viewers to emotionally bond with the characters. The cookie-cutter good-and-bad separation of Disney movie characters is replaced by somewhat flawed human beings (e.g. the prince is an animal-killing rogue, much to the dismay of vegetarian princess Yvonne Catterfeld), but the film's artificiality is too in-your-face to be overlooked. Probably a matter of taste - how realistic does a fairy tale need to be, really? I would have been happier with a slower pace (I'm not 21 anymore), and cringed at some of Gans' choices to update the story (such as the castle's bizarre anime-fied CGI beagle dogs, a Jar Jar Binks kind of addition that does not help to bring us anyone or anything closer at all).
The heaving cleavage of Miss Seydoux is a sight to behold, shown with a frequency that might irritate audiences accustomed to sexless princesses, but it's just a choice of wardrobe, not a case of leering camera. Seydoux' sensual presence is a gift for the film. Strong dialog is not the main focus here, but she gives a convincing physical performance and gets the nuances right. Cassel doesn't have much to do here.
Belle's relationship to the beast is depicted (ever so) slightly different as in previous romance versions of the fable. This I liked. Ultimately, far from a masterpiece, and hardly an evening-filler, but a good choice for a rainy afternoon.
While certainly great to look at, with many spectacular set-pieces, the film makes it hard for viewers to emotionally bond with the characters. The cookie-cutter good-and-bad separation of Disney movie characters is replaced by somewhat flawed human beings (e.g. the prince is an animal-killing rogue, much to the dismay of vegetarian princess Yvonne Catterfeld), but the film's artificiality is too in-your-face to be overlooked. Probably a matter of taste - how realistic does a fairy tale need to be, really? I would have been happier with a slower pace (I'm not 21 anymore), and cringed at some of Gans' choices to update the story (such as the castle's bizarre anime-fied CGI beagle dogs, a Jar Jar Binks kind of addition that does not help to bring us anyone or anything closer at all).
The heaving cleavage of Miss Seydoux is a sight to behold, shown with a frequency that might irritate audiences accustomed to sexless princesses, but it's just a choice of wardrobe, not a case of leering camera. Seydoux' sensual presence is a gift for the film. Strong dialog is not the main focus here, but she gives a convincing physical performance and gets the nuances right. Cassel doesn't have much to do here.
Belle's relationship to the beast is depicted (ever so) slightly different as in previous romance versions of the fable. This I liked. Ultimately, far from a masterpiece, and hardly an evening-filler, but a good choice for a rainy afternoon.