A beautifully nostalgic movie

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2017)

The live action version of Beauty and the Beast is a remarkable movie, with a lot of roses blooming with every scene played out. The cast was spot on, the VFX was remarkable, the music was nothing short of brilliant and the nostalgia was just right. This movie cannot be of course compared to the original because as I said, it stands out from its original material and delivers its own magic. It re-freshens the story with an incredible soul and a heart that is beastly in its grandeur, humor, romance and nostalgia.While some of the critics view Disney as playing off of our nostalgic senses and giving us "a mediocre, poorly made movie", I disagree wholeheartedly. This movie is more than just a nostalgic call to when the original movie came out and how perfect it is. Yes, nostalgia plays a part in it but at the end of the day, this new live action version stands on its own and delivers a strong performance worthy of the effort put into making it. The feelings I got when I first watched the original were a major part in why I went to see the movie – and why others will too – but that's because nostalgia is all man needs nowadays; to remember that beauty lies within. Kudos to the art direction team behind the sets in the Beast's Castle! They manage to create an architectural wonder by mixing whimsically dizzying features to the castle with the brooding, Gothic atmosphere that seems to loom over the snow/ice covered grounds. The Castle is a portrayal of the darkness and despair that seem to have a hold on the Beast's heart, adding more depth into the structure of the Castle. Alan Menken, who won an Oscar for the score of the original Beauty and the Beast, was back to add his charm, expertise and soul into the music behind the movie. For those of you who are familiar with the music, it is pretty much the same as the original one which was already super perfect. The songs have been executed quite nicely with three new songs added as a tribute to the late Howard Ashman, whose work on the Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack is just phenomenal. While we were expecting Belle to woo us with her singing or at least Emma Thompson with her warmth, we were delightedly surprised with Dan Stevens' deep tenor- like vocals. This was the only scene in the entire movie that I was dreading would be horribly executed and instead, I had tears rolling down my cheeks with a big fat smile on my face. The iconic yellow dress (which was altered from the original and meant to show how different this century's Belle is), the ballroom, the song sung by Emma Thompson, the dance itself; it was just made perfectly. The atmosphere of the dance, knowing that the Beast was hoping that this would be the night he would tell her how he feels about her; again, just perfect! Also, a huge nod to the creative team behind the "Be Our Guest" sequence; it was magical! That scene brought tears to my eyes as well: it was colorful, dizzyingly dazzling, filled with spirit, laughter and brought me back to the essence of the original "Be Our Guest". I was singing it out loud in the movie theater.