Yesterday I saw Little Women, starring Saiorse Ronan and Florence Pugh.
It's a beloved book, but one I'll confess I always found a tad boring. That said, this film isn't boring and provides a more faithful adaptation than most that have come before it.
Greta Gerwig's casting of Ronan as the star sister, Jo, couldn't have been more spot on—the Irish actress has just enough spunk to inspire and not enough glamour to be unbelievable. Pugh as her rival sister Amy is also strong, capturing just the right amount of allure and arrogance.
I also enjoyed the performance by Laura Dern, who plays the Little Women's mother. She's warm and lively and everything she'd need to be to navigate parenting four such unique girls.
As we watch the ladies fall in and out of love, follow their passions and explore each of their unique gifts, we're reminded of author Louisa May Alcott's era when it wasn't a given women would get to 'be' what they desired. Not that it's even necessarily true now, but less so then, which is what makes their paths as writers, painters, actresses and musicians all the more miraculous.
If you loved the book, chances are you'll love this retelling. If you didn't love the book, like me you may still enjoy their charming journey.
There are worse ways to spend two hours and fifteen minutes.
~~~
Showing posts with label Emma Watson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emma Watson. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 01, 2020
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Beauty and the Beast
On Thursday I saw Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Luke Evans.
"There must be more than this provincial life," sings Belle (Watson) as she begins another day in her tired little French town. She, like so many, is dissatisfied with her surroundings. The books in which she escapes give her glimpses of places far more more interesting. She longs to be a part of them.
Her dad, Maurice (played by a perfectly cast Kevin Kline) is the town eccentric, and has doted on his daughter since she was born. Now, as an adult, Belle has become a feminist before her time, fending off the advances of the narcissist, Gaston (Evans) and dreaming of new possibilities.
When Maurice is taken prisoner by a ferocious beast (Dan Stevens) in a faraway castle, Belle attempts to rescue him and trades herself in his place. This is where the story truly begins.
What Belle doesn't know is that underneath the fur is a prince—one who behaved so badly a spell was cast upon him. The only way to break it is for him to fall in love and be loved in return. Conspiring to make a match between Belle and the Beast are various household fixtures like Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), who is now a teapot, but once was a normal woman.
It's a "tale as old as time" and one of the most beloved to say the least. As a huge fan of the animated classic, I cringed when I heard they were making this into a live action picture, but once I saw the cast I breathed a little and got over it.
I very much enjoyed this version; there is something in emotion that can't be captured in animation, so the love and romance is more effective here. Where I prefer the original is in the music.
As an actress, Emma Watson is brilliant. She's sincere, she's likable—her intelligence permeates every role she's in and Belle is no exception. But the shortcuts that were taken in her song arrangements left me wanting more. I found myself humming the ending bits that were cut off—in most cases the climactic notes of the songs.
I also felt a bit of the art direction could have been more spectacular. The sequence for "Be Our Guest" was a little too disco and starved for classy grandeur; the library that has Belle gasping at its magnificence we only see a few underwhelming frames of before the two are nose-down in books.
I will always make time for Beauty and the Beast no matter what its format. If you see this one, be sure to take in all of its strengths—Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, the chemistry between Watson and Stevens, and the clever winks amongst the household fixtures.
~~~
"There must be more than this provincial life," sings Belle (Watson) as she begins another day in her tired little French town. She, like so many, is dissatisfied with her surroundings. The books in which she escapes give her glimpses of places far more more interesting. She longs to be a part of them.
Her dad, Maurice (played by a perfectly cast Kevin Kline) is the town eccentric, and has doted on his daughter since she was born. Now, as an adult, Belle has become a feminist before her time, fending off the advances of the narcissist, Gaston (Evans) and dreaming of new possibilities.
When Maurice is taken prisoner by a ferocious beast (Dan Stevens) in a faraway castle, Belle attempts to rescue him and trades herself in his place. This is where the story truly begins.
What Belle doesn't know is that underneath the fur is a prince—one who behaved so badly a spell was cast upon him. The only way to break it is for him to fall in love and be loved in return. Conspiring to make a match between Belle and the Beast are various household fixtures like Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), who is now a teapot, but once was a normal woman.
It's a "tale as old as time" and one of the most beloved to say the least. As a huge fan of the animated classic, I cringed when I heard they were making this into a live action picture, but once I saw the cast I breathed a little and got over it.
I very much enjoyed this version; there is something in emotion that can't be captured in animation, so the love and romance is more effective here. Where I prefer the original is in the music.
As an actress, Emma Watson is brilliant. She's sincere, she's likable—her intelligence permeates every role she's in and Belle is no exception. But the shortcuts that were taken in her song arrangements left me wanting more. I found myself humming the ending bits that were cut off—in most cases the climactic notes of the songs.
I also felt a bit of the art direction could have been more spectacular. The sequence for "Be Our Guest" was a little too disco and starved for classy grandeur; the library that has Belle gasping at its magnificence we only see a few underwhelming frames of before the two are nose-down in books.
I will always make time for Beauty and the Beast no matter what its format. If you see this one, be sure to take in all of its strengths—Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, the chemistry between Watson and Stevens, and the clever winks amongst the household fixtures.
~~~
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This morning I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson.
Charlie (Lerman) longs for companionship because something in his past caused him to shut down socially.
Sam (Watson) made many mistakes in her past, but has found solace in her friends and her bestie stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller).
When Patrick befriends Charlie, Sam is the one who brings him out of his shell, which causes Charlie to fall in love with her. Of course, as in any teenage story, Sam already has her eyes on another guy, so they just remain friends.
Charlie loves his new life, though his past never stops fully haunting him. The remainder of the film lets the audience navigate this brave new world with him—and its inevitable road bumps.
What's so refreshing about the wonderful script that Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the novel) has created is that it's painfully realistic.
There are major themes explored in this film—virginity, bullying, homophobia, child abuse, accident trauma and promiscuity, just to name a few. But none of these overwhelming topics ever cloud the story or its progress. The lives of these characters just keep moving along as they would if they were living, breathing souls.
It doesn't hurt that the cast is phenomenal.
Logan Lerman has eyes so sweet, you'll ache for his every setback
Charlie (Lerman) longs for companionship because something in his past caused him to shut down socially.
Sam (Watson) made many mistakes in her past, but has found solace in her friends and her bestie stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller).
When Patrick befriends Charlie, Sam is the one who brings him out of his shell, which causes Charlie to fall in love with her. Of course, as in any teenage story, Sam already has her eyes on another guy, so they just remain friends.
Charlie loves his new life, though his past never stops fully haunting him. The remainder of the film lets the audience navigate this brave new world with him—and its inevitable road bumps.
What's so refreshing about the wonderful script that Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the novel) has created is that it's painfully realistic.
There are major themes explored in this film—virginity, bullying, homophobia, child abuse, accident trauma and promiscuity, just to name a few. But none of these overwhelming topics ever cloud the story or its progress. The lives of these characters just keep moving along as they would if they were living, breathing souls.
It doesn't hurt that the cast is phenomenal.
Logan Lerman has eyes so sweet, you'll ache for his every setback
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Tonight I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
It is seldom that a film franchise provides a decent sequel, let alone a respectable eighth film in a series, but this one thankfully did.
Deathly Hallows, Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off with (me sobbing at) Dobby the House Elf's untimely demise.
Harry has a mission to find the final Horcrux, kill the snake and ultimately kill Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is more menacing and magically awful in this one than any of the previous films.
The pace is slow at first, but that's okay—we've missed these characters and it's nice to warm up to them again. In fact, the scene where Harry first sees his love, Ginny, was especially stomach-jump worthy. Then again, I'm a hopeless romantic so your results may vary.
Anyway—after they get the reunions (somewhat) out of the way, the film goes very Indiana Jones, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's definitely the most physical of the eight and quite possibly the only one that will give me nightmares (specifically the fire with the faces in it and just about any Voldemort scene). But it's exciting—even when you know what happens next.
The main characters are pitch perfect, as usual, and the supporting (three cheers for Neville Longbottom!) are just as charming. Though I wasn't too young when the series started, I do feel like I've "grown up" with this bunch, and their familiarity is a comfort.
I won't reveal the ending, though if you're a breathing human being you probably know how it all turns out.
I'll just say that the finale was incredibly satisfying, I was never bored, and I'm so, so sad that it's over.
~~~
It is seldom that a film franchise provides a decent sequel, let alone a respectable eighth film in a series, but this one thankfully did.
Deathly Hallows, Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off with (me sobbing at) Dobby the House Elf's untimely demise.
Harry has a mission to find the final Horcrux, kill the snake and ultimately kill Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is more menacing and magically awful in this one than any of the previous films.
The pace is slow at first, but that's okay—we've missed these characters and it's nice to warm up to them again. In fact, the scene where Harry first sees his love, Ginny, was especially stomach-jump worthy. Then again, I'm a hopeless romantic so your results may vary.
Anyway—after they get the reunions (somewhat) out of the way, the film goes very Indiana Jones, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's definitely the most physical of the eight and quite possibly the only one that will give me nightmares (specifically the fire with the faces in it and just about any Voldemort scene). But it's exciting—even when you know what happens next.
The main characters are pitch perfect, as usual, and the supporting (three cheers for Neville Longbottom!) are just as charming. Though I wasn't too young when the series started, I do feel like I've "grown up" with this bunch, and their familiarity is a comfort.
I won't reveal the ending, though if you're a breathing human being you probably know how it all turns out.
I'll just say that the finale was incredibly satisfying, I was never bored, and I'm so, so sad that it's over.
~~~
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Today I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
This movie was exactly what I expected—a faithful re-telling of the not-so-exciting portions of the final book in the Harry Potter series, sprinkled with enough charm to keep things interesting.
When this section of the story begins, Harry (Radcliffe) is by tradition leaving his aunt and uncle's house. Each book began this way with the young wizard heading off to Hogwarts for another year of school, but this final one has a twist: Harry is instead escaping to a safe house to elude the ever-so-evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
In the first chuckle-worthy scene in the film, a spell is cast on several of Harry's friends who have agreed to be turned into a replica of his likeness to throw the death eaters off the scent. Radcliffe shines, taking on the mannerisms of most of them while remaining in his own 'skin.'
Of course, he does survive this stunt, but that set-up launches the audience into over two hours of provoking, then escaping, only to provoke again.
Harry is naturally accompanied into this war by his two best friends, Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), who are preoccupied with their own chemistry, yet loyal to a fault.
It's difficult to squeeze even half of a book into a full-length film, but after a few meaningful scenes about the relationships between these three friends, I found myself wishing for more.
Sure, it's fun to see Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix throwing things around, and it's nice to see Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) squirm instead of smirk, but the genuine camaraderie between the three lead actors is such a pleasure, I hope the final chapter devotes more time to their bond.
As for this installment, I thought it was appropriately dark and full of exposition, and I nearly went to pieces at the culmination of Dobby's big sacrifice. If ever the lesser class had a greater hero!
~~~
This movie was exactly what I expected—a faithful re-telling of the not-so-exciting portions of the final book in the Harry Potter series, sprinkled with enough charm to keep things interesting.
When this section of the story begins, Harry (Radcliffe) is by tradition leaving his aunt and uncle's house. Each book began this way with the young wizard heading off to Hogwarts for another year of school, but this final one has a twist: Harry is instead escaping to a safe house to elude the ever-so-evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
In the first chuckle-worthy scene in the film, a spell is cast on several of Harry's friends who have agreed to be turned into a replica of his likeness to throw the death eaters off the scent. Radcliffe shines, taking on the mannerisms of most of them while remaining in his own 'skin.'
Of course, he does survive this stunt, but that set-up launches the audience into over two hours of provoking, then escaping, only to provoke again.
Harry is naturally accompanied into this war by his two best friends, Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), who are preoccupied with their own chemistry, yet loyal to a fault.
It's difficult to squeeze even half of a book into a full-length film, but after a few meaningful scenes about the relationships between these three friends, I found myself wishing for more.
Sure, it's fun to see Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix throwing things around, and it's nice to see Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) squirm instead of smirk, but the genuine camaraderie between the three lead actors is such a pleasure, I hope the final chapter devotes more time to their bond.
As for this installment, I thought it was appropriately dark and full of exposition, and I nearly went to pieces at the culmination of Dobby's big sacrifice. If ever the lesser class had a greater hero!
~~~
Monday, July 20, 2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Tonight I saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon.
I re-read the book this last week to refresh my memory and prepare for the film, but part of me wishes I hadn't, for the film leaves out so much of the text it's somewhat maddening. But it's still an incredibly enjoyable ride.
In this installment, Harry (Radcliffe) is taken under Professor Dumbledore's wing like never before to solve the mysteries behind the Dark Lord. The relationship between them is tender and convincing, but I can't help but miss the actor who originated the Professor's role, Richard Harris, who died a few years back. He was more like a Grandfather than a Merlin, which the current actor (Gambon) evokes.
Anyway, to dig deeper into Lord Voldemort's past, they must solicit the help of retired Professor Slughorn (played delightfully by Jim Broadbent) and coax some buried memories of Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts out of him. For those playing catch up: Tom Riddle was Voldemort's childhood name. Riddle is coincidentally played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who is the real-life nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who plays Lord Voldemort. The resemblance is both helpful and staggering (and hey, the kid can act too).
So, to get access to these memories, Harry has to manipulate Slughorn by becoming a star student in his Potions class, which he achieves by using the old textbook that once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince. Though no one knows the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, his potions seem to work wonderfully, which angers Harry's close friend Hermoine, because she sees using the book as cheating.
Aside from that, Hermoine's fallen in love with their mutual friend Ron, who has a new girlfriend he keeps snogging in front of her. And Harry's fallen for Ginny, Ron's sister, but doesn't know how to confront those feelings.
Combine this with some extremely scary Death Eaters (yes, it should be PG-13, but it's not) and you have a jam-packed film of teenage lust, good vs. evil, historical continuity and supernatural tricks.
Alan Rickman again stands out as Severus Snape, while all of the children have not only matured with their roles, but become better actors in the process. The final scenes are among the saddest and heaviest of the series.
When it's over, you'll be wishing it had a few more hours to go, even as you blink back tears.
```
I re-read the book this last week to refresh my memory and prepare for the film, but part of me wishes I hadn't, for the film leaves out so much of the text it's somewhat maddening. But it's still an incredibly enjoyable ride.
In this installment, Harry (Radcliffe) is taken under Professor Dumbledore's wing like never before to solve the mysteries behind the Dark Lord. The relationship between them is tender and convincing, but I can't help but miss the actor who originated the Professor's role, Richard Harris, who died a few years back. He was more like a Grandfather than a Merlin, which the current actor (Gambon) evokes.
Anyway, to dig deeper into Lord Voldemort's past, they must solicit the help of retired Professor Slughorn (played delightfully by Jim Broadbent) and coax some buried memories of Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts out of him. For those playing catch up: Tom Riddle was Voldemort's childhood name. Riddle is coincidentally played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who is the real-life nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who plays Lord Voldemort. The resemblance is both helpful and staggering (and hey, the kid can act too).
So, to get access to these memories, Harry has to manipulate Slughorn by becoming a star student in his Potions class, which he achieves by using the old textbook that once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince. Though no one knows the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, his potions seem to work wonderfully, which angers Harry's close friend Hermoine, because she sees using the book as cheating.
Aside from that, Hermoine's fallen in love with their mutual friend Ron, who has a new girlfriend he keeps snogging in front of her. And Harry's fallen for Ginny, Ron's sister, but doesn't know how to confront those feelings.
Combine this with some extremely scary Death Eaters (yes, it should be PG-13, but it's not) and you have a jam-packed film of teenage lust, good vs. evil, historical continuity and supernatural tricks.
Alan Rickman again stands out as Severus Snape, while all of the children have not only matured with their roles, but become better actors in the process. The final scenes are among the saddest and heaviest of the series.
When it's over, you'll be wishing it had a few more hours to go, even as you blink back tears.
```
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