There are few things that I love more in the world than Beauty and the Beast. And no, I am definitely not being dramatic. As a young girl, I had the animated classic on repeat at all times, owned all the dresses Belle wore and even owned the red rose in a glass vase just like the one the Beast had. I’ve seen the musical version on Broadway and on the national tour, and I’ve watched Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas every December. Needless to say, I am a massive fan and have been waiting my whole life for this movie. Here’s my review of the new live-action movie, and yes, I am biased.
The Music
I think that one of the reasons Beauty and the Beast is such a masterpiece is the music. Alan Menken, the man behind many of Disney’s classic tunes, created some of my favorite songs like “Belle,” “Be Our Guest” and “Something There.” Whenever I hear the first few notes of “The Prologue,” my heart starts to soar. I am happy to report that the new telling did not disappoint. The classics were all there and sung to perfection; Gaston sung by Josh Gad and Luke Evans was a stand-out number. There were also some new tunes that are now permanently stuck in my head. The Beast gets his own ballad towards the end of the film that is beautiful and heartbreaking. Celine Dion, aka Queen Celine, comes back to the world of Belle, singing a song called “How Does a Moment Last Forever” that will take your breath away. I will admit that I was a little hesitant about the music going in, but I am happy to report I was wrong.
The Story
One of the reasons Belle is my favorite princess is that she is a strong heroine; she does the recusing in this story, and the ones around her change while she unapologetically stays true to herself. In the new version, Emma Watson makes Belle even stronger in my opinion. Belle is now an inventor and teaches a girl in her provincial town to read. This princess is still the kind, strong bookworm we all loved, but now she’s Belle 2.0. The live-action version also expands on the backstories of some of the characters. We find out what happens to Belle’s mother through a touching new scene with Belle and the Beast and we find out why the Prince was so “selfish and unkind,” among other things. The 2017 version, although it took place in 18th century France, is truly a story for our generation, one about looking beneath the surface and staying strong.
The Costumes
Most girls our age have pictures of themselves in Disney princess dresses when they were younger (or maybe not so much younger … no judgement). I definitely wore more than one Belle dress through Halloween, birthday parties, or just a casual trip to the grocery store. When the first trailers and pictures were released for the new version, I instantly fell in love with the costumes. Jacqueline Durran brought the animated costumes to life with intricate details and fabrics that weren’t possible with animation. I loved every single one of Watson’s costumes in this film because they are so fitting to the character of Belle. And let’s not forgot to mention the yellow dress. The waltz between Belle and the Beast shows off the yellow ballgown perfectly; it shimmers in the ballroom and floats like it has a life of its own. I’m secretly jealous of all the young girls that are going to have these new costumes made for their sizes.
The Actors
When the cast was first announced for this film, I knew the movie was in good hands, and I was correct. The actors and actresses that portrayed the household objects in the enchanted castle were wonderful. From Emma Thompson to Sir Ian McKellen, the combination of their voices and the brilliant animators created a stunning performance. Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad and Le Fou were such a dynamic duo. They both have musical theatre backgrounds which really shine in the movie. I daresay that they took the animated characters and made them better. The Beast was played by Dan Stevens, and thanks to technology too advanced for most people to understand, his facial features and movements made the Beast more human-like and three dimensional (oh, and he can sing, too. Did we need more?) But Emma Watson as Belle, wow; you can tell from her performance that she gave everything she had in this role. As if we needed another reason to adore Emma.
When people ask me what I thought of the movie, all I can say is that I will most likely never see another movie I like more than this one. Belle has all the characteristics I strive to have; she’s smart, loving and strong. I am so excited that young girls will have this movie to fall in love with.
And yes, I was listening to the soundtrack for this movie while writing this.
Photo credits: Comingsoon.net