He Said, She Said: Beauty & the Beast Review

Runtime: 2hr 9min

Director: Bill Condon

Release Date: 17th March 2017

Rating: PG (UK), PG (US)

Guest writer Natasha and I share our thoughts on this Disney classic turned live-action fairytale, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens.

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Plot Summary

We all know the story - a shallow Prince is cursed by an enchantress, leading to him taking captor beautiful book-worm Belle many years later. Add in an ensemble of talking furniture, a handsome 'hero' to come to Belle's rescue, and a village of idiots, and you have yourself a movie that implies it teaches you that beauty is more than just skin-deep, it is about what lies within. Taken from the original animated classic (which itself came from an 18th century fairy-tale), Beauty & the Beast is the latest live-action remake of old fairy stories.

He Said...

I was so very ready to tear this film apart! A reboot of a classic - a common Hollywood cash-grab tactic - and it's starring the rather mediocre Emma Watson. I honestly believed this was going to be literally terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised by the talents of the supporting cast and the cinematography especially, with great music performance and wonderful direction, I clearly underestimated this flick. There was a specific scene where Belle walks and sings upon a hill in a blue dress; looking exactly like a Sound of Music rip-off, and plenty of the film was essentially a copy of the original - but this was a far better decision than going in a completely different direction. The film acts more as a homage to the original than a brand new take on the story, so the movie is simply a spectacle-added version of the beloved original Disney cartoon. The drawback to this is that a lack of originality can always be criticised, yet I can't see any other direction they could have taken the film - meaning it was doomed to be either slightly good or terrible from the start, it's just a relief this movie was in the slightly good category - the music had me humming as I left the cinema and the acting (even that of Emma Watson) wasn't half bad either! Overall, I can say I enjoyed the film, and that's the main thing that matters over originality, and I never thought I'd find myself saying that when my expectations were so low.

6.5/10

She Said..
Admittedly, I was prepared for my childhood Disney favourite to disappoint - despite an all-star cast and a tale as old as time, the live-action picture had me eye-rolling from trailer-day. Credit where credit is due, Beauty & the Beast was largely better than I had initially anticipated; magical atmospherics, reminiscent music and (at times) some brilliant acting (with particular nod to the supporting cast). However, I can't help but feel its' try-hard attempt at cinematic masterpiece fell short in spite of itself. The direction and choreography, while would have been seriously fantastic for a West End theatre production, did not translate nearly as well onto big screen. And while I'm all for writers prerogative, the certain elements of the story that were so unnecessarily changed made me kind of mad. Adding to my picture peeves, the 'real-life' furniture was aesthetically odd, Dan Stevens was almost forgotten about despite having the title-role, and Emma Thompson (who can all-too-often do no wrong in my eyes) really over-did it with her whole 'Eliza Doolittle' cockney accent. On the flip side, Emma Watson (who I find a bit hit or miss) shattered my misconceptions to deliver a rather wonderful depiction. Overall fairly good throughout - if slightly unremarkable. Fancy a watch anyway? Be my guest.

6.5/10

Review: T2 Trainspotting

Runtime: 1hr 57min
Director: Danny Boyle
Release Date: 27th January 2017
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)

An immensly challenging sequel to produce; Danny Boyle's reprisal was never going to satisfy old fans and newcomers alike.

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After twenty years, there would be obvious ambiguity in how to go about writing and directing this cult-classics' sequel. 2017 is brimming with sequels of both original movies and installments to well-established series; thus this may be a recurring issue in the near future. T2 Trainspotting is very clearly a movie made for the fans of the original, for people who loved the first film but haven't watched it in years, and have fond memories of it. This film preys upon the fact that some people will be so wound up in their own nostalgia that they won't give this film the independence from the original it needed.

T2 struggles to declare itself a story of its own; literal scenes from the original Trainspotting are shown to portray a reflection on the past repeating itself; but all that this shows is an unwillingness to write a completely original plot. It is likely Danny Boyle did this to appease fans, as going in a completely different direction would then annoy those who are devoted to the first film.

The story has a great premise; the Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to Scotland and meets with the loveable Spud (Ewen Bremner) and best-pal Simon (Jonny Lee Miller) once again - much to their initial disgust. Not long after, the return of Begbie (Robert Carlyle) fills the plot with more drama than a soap opera. The events that take place are mostly for comedic purpose, under the premise that the audience already know the characters (fair to assume, but not taking into account standalone viewers). A specific scene in which Simon and Mark are forced to perform a song in a loyalist pub had me laughing out loud in the cinema; so often the attempts at making the film light-hearted were received with a good response.

That being said, one of the things about the original is that it wasn't light hearted in the slightest. The characters were the only thing lovable about the film, not what happened to them necessarily, whereas T2 swaps this around - the environments were far more ostentatious in this film, bright neon lighting and fewer disgusting and dull backdrops make for a more optimistic view in this film - quite the opposite of what the original was about. It seems in trying to appease the fans of the original and placing the same characters in a repetitive-yet more flamboyant setting has managed to stray from the roots of what made Trainspotting great.

T2 could have been set anywhere provided the main characters still acted in the way that they do, and that's a shame - every piece of Trainspotting was necessary to put together the plot that was made.

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Despite all of this - T2 is a good film. It's not a great film, but it certainly isn't awful either. Its' greatest failing is that it can't decide whether to create an entirely new story - which would abandon the roots of the original - or to re-hash Trainspotting - which would be total cowardice. The film does the worst of both worlds, in that it doesn't have a great deal of original thought but it also doesn't capture what the first film did. 

On its own merits, T2 is a funny film; and it is enjoyable to watch. I didn't leave the theatre as disappointed as I would have anticipated, and the film didn't fail to put a smile on my face during. Despite the 20 year gap, the actors clearly haven't lost track of their alter-ego's nature - the performances were great and the chemistry that the actors had was immense, with a gleaming nod to Robert Carlyle.

I can still say I recommend T2, its not like the original in terms of quality or theme, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy myself. I can make an odd comparison to another sequel, Aliens, in that both T2 and Aliens are very enjoyable, but both films also spoil the point of their predecessor in a sense.

 6.5/10

Throwback Thursday: Trainspotting Review

Runtime: 1hr 36min

Director: Danny Boyle

Release Date: 23rd February 1996

Rating: 18 (UK), R (US)

Due to the much-anticipated release of T2 Trainspotting this weekend, this throwback Thursday called for a re-watch (and review) of the original motion picture.
 

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Trainspotting was undoubtedly huge; launching director Danny Boyle and the lead cast into stardom shortly after its release - in particular, Ewan McGregor, who went on to perform high-profile roles in films such as Moulin Rouge, Star Wars and Black Hawk Down. Trainspotting was iconic in so many ways; the acting, soundtrack and honest scripting all left their mark on everyone that watched.

Most memorable of all must be Rentons' (McGregor) "Choose Life" speech during the opening scenes, which was not only reprised throughout the movie but brought to life once more in the trailer for its' sequel: T2 Trainspotting. The entirety of the film is filled with moments like this - fast-paced, raw and utterly glorious.

The plot doesn't shield from the harsh realities of the characters' lives; Trainspotting is critical in its storytelling - following Renton and his heroin-addicted lifestyle with his so-called "mates" Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd), all portrayed excellently authentic. Scenes like 'the worst toilet in Scotland' provides a great example of how Trainspotting does not care just how disgusted or distressed the viewer may be; it simply shows what it needs to to get the point across.

What is the point though? How did Trainspotting tell such a story of desperate criminal activity whilst still managing to be relatable and enjoyable? The answer lies in its' scripting, casting and uninspiring set. The characters and environment are designed to be as incredibly ordinary as possible, of no real interest and deliberately bland. Characters we love to hate and hate to love and identify with even though we differ greatly. That's the magic of Trainspotting entirely.

Trainspotting is daring and rife with idiosyncrasy; a movie that you can respect while you watch it. Many filmmakers can only dream of recreating what Trainspotting achieved, and in trying only convey an air of pretentiousness. The film still holds up today, is still seemingly somewhat relevant, and the acting is still wonderful even by modern-day standards. I can only hope the sequel can live up to expectation: the bar is set very, very high.

9/10