Rated PG
129 Minutes
Released March 17
It's not blind luck that Disney’s newest Beauty and the Beast has been a huge success at the box office. This movie has superb production value – razor sharp depth of focus, a visual banquet of rich vibrant colors, tremendous performances, and a rich musical score. The movie is well cast. Each of the characters embraces a unique personality and message, and they all work in tandem flawlessly as an ensemble to keep the rhythm of storytelling flowing. There are some great singers included in this cast: Dan Stevens as the “Beast,” Luke Evans as “Gaston”, Josh Gad, Audra McDonald. Emma Watson is a refreshingly natural and enterprising as “Belle.”
There are many life lessons pointed out with great subtlety, such as a scene of a group of only boys being herded into a classroom followed by “Belle” sneaking into a room full of books to educate herself. The villagers see Belle as strange for her love of reading.
For the kids, it's an enchanted fairy tale of magnificent proportion. The adults in the audience will enjoy tongue-in-cheek sets reprising classic musicals from past eras and, for a change, a tale of unbridled joy and beauty that embraces laughter. It's worth the price to see this Oscar worthy creation in a state-of-the-art theatre.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which is the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com. For previously published reviews see https://kwboole.wordpress.com
