In Search of the Real Beauty

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2017)

(RATING: ☆☆☆½ out of 5 )
GRADE: B-
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A second-hand knock-off that rarely touches the original's beauty but still entertains.
JIM'S REVIEW: The Hollywood Remake. A strange breed of movie it is. It is not a sequel adding more to an already told tale. It's more like a parasite leeching onto someone else's ideas and crediting themselves with all of the glory. Those who loved the original will look upon this new attempt with disdain, those who disliked the predecessor will question the filmmaker's motives. Is it pure folly or a creative need to improve upon the mistakes of others? Most recent remakes seem to be financial quests for more $$$, cashing in on the known product and its glowing reputation. Whatever the reason, all are hoping the film will be rediscovered by a new audience and make a profitable return.
Which brings us to the latest entry, Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2017). Now the studio has pulled from its vaults one of the most honored movies of all times, a near-perfect masterwork and the only animated film ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. (Perhaps we should drop to our knees and give thanks that they do not own the rights to Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, Some Like It Hot, or many other film classics.)
Beauty and the Beast (1991) has such a high pedigree and creates a daunting challenge to covert into a live action remake, even with all of the CGI state-of-the-art technology and artisans on board for this project.
Which leaves us to wonder: Can one ever perfect the already perfect...Is there room for improvement upon such a skillful work of art? Director Bill Condon was at the helm of this project and the answer to his end result is decidedly a mixed blessing.
Let me begin by saying that is much to admire in this re-imagining. Yet for every step forward, the film awkwardly takes two steps back: the nice mix of live action and CGI is more than serviceable yet hardly magical, the ensemble is well cast with some notable exceptions, production values are generally strong although proportions of the re-animated animated objects are inconsistent and vary in size from one scene to the next, and the glorious score by the talented team of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman remains relatively intact, with some additional new tunes added which do little to impress. (Except for one standard Broadway 11 o'clock number, Evermore, the additional tunes with lyrics by Tim Rice, are lackluster.)
Also, on the minus side: Backstories have been written for some of the characters, but they serve more as filler and do little to advance the plot. The screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spilotopoulos has the basic plot handled successfully, but too many sub-plots muck up the works. The dialog has an overabundance of anachronisms than become almost as jarring in their dated pop culture references as Josh Gad's odd interpretation in the role of a minor sidekick character, La Fou, which becomes a major misstep in such a sweet story. The actor chooses to perpetuate the gay effeminate stereotype in his overt "nance" mannerisms that is humorless and borderline offensive. He almost ruins the film as he takes this fairy tale far too literally and figuratively, as does Bill Condon's direction.
His direction seems haphazard and in need of restraint. Mr. Condon often goes for the obvious slapstick and crass moments rather than enhancing the subtle charm and class of this classic love story. No more is this apparent than in his treatment of the film's big production number, Be Our Guest. (In the original animated version, the film is aglow with vibrant colors and stunning hand-drawn details that make for a delightful movie-going experience. Here, the moment is excessive, becoming a dizzying whirl of garish shapes and hyper-active movement that blurs the details of its imagery. Other musical sequences lack proper staging with scenes that overwhelm the proceedings. However, Mr. Condon does get the essential title number right in both setting a romantic mood and filling the screen with sumptuous detailing.
Some of the actors are spot-on, while other are just spotty. Emma Watson as Belle, is fine in her acting, but her singing is wispy and thin. (Paging Marni Nixon!) Ms. Watson does share a lovely chemistry with Dan Steven's Beast and the actor is very convincing in his angst under layers of make-up and special effects. Kevin Kline as Belle's father is a treat as is Luke Evans, playing a leaner and meaner Gaston. He captures the menace and vanity of this perfect foil. More voice-overs than real supporting turns are provided by Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor, and Ian McKellen, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stanley Lucci, and Audra McDonald try to bring some degree of interest into their fussy characterizations. And let's not even discuss the mincing of the aforementioned Mr. Gads any further...awful.
That said, Beauty and the Beast (2017) still entertains and is a lovely diversion in its tale of unconditional love. The celebrated music score is a lovely homage to the Broadway musicals of yore and its romantic story still enchants. I suppose, if one has never seen the superior 1991 film, I'm sure that what is on screen is all the more captivating.
Russia said, "Nyet" to this remake due to censorship issues with homophobia. I said, "Meh" to this remake due to purely aesthetic reasons. This film, while no beast, is certainly no beauty either. Rent, or better yet, buy the original animated version and bask in its rare beauty. Sometimes tales as old as time really are...to say the least.