Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans and Josh Gad

Beauty and the Beast is well known among children and adults from its fairy tale story and music in Disney’s 1996 animation movie. Counting on that successful title, Disney has decided to turn it into a live action, starring Emma Waston as Belle (which I could not think of someone more suitable for this role), the odd girl who lives in a village and dreams of more.

The remake has not only brought all the old plus new songs, but added modern touches to the screening. One of my favourite addition was the story behind Belle’s mom and how she and her father ended up in such a “little town”. Not only more about Belle’s mother, they also tell us more about Beast’s past and why his servants are so attached to him, turning the simple “becoming a beast” into a more deep and thoughtful story.

Although the movie is full of magic, music and special effects, it did not please everyone. The introduction of a visible gay character was an issue for many people. In the 2017 live action, LeFou is clearly in love with Gaston and demonstrates his affection to the good-looking sexist hunter throughout his actions. This polemic topic has been discussed a lot over the world, and the inclusion of a gay character just shows how Disney is concern about bringing equality to its stories in a natural way.

The songs were gracefully performed by the whole cast and the soundtrack is stunning. My favourite quote in the movie is one of the last lines, when Beast back to its human form and Belle jokes: “Do you think you can grow a beard?”.

Trailer: