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Post by BoOverall on Mar 19, 2017 23:47:42 GMT
Oh Audra McDonald. Wow. So pleased she got to sing at least some of the title song: but the snippet she had oozed class. Boy did I have goosebumps at that point. I can only imagine her singing the whole song. Sigh!
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Post by jek on Mar 20, 2017 10:03:08 GMT
Enjoyed playing spot the British character actor in this - bit like old movies like The Amazing Mr Blunden or The Railway Children. Especially pleased to see Hattie Morahan. And like many people have a fondness for the original movie and its songs. But this film was so not for me. It just seemed relentless - incredibly loud and in your face. Emerged at the end feeling like I needed a lie down. Thought it might just be me but my 15 year old daughter felt similarly. Having said that the sold out house at the Stratford Picturehouse appeared to be enjoying it a great deal, so I seem to be in a minority on this one. I only read the 2 star Observer review after seeing it (I'd bought the paper on the way to the cinema) but felt they had it about right.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2017 10:38:42 GMT
Liked because you mentioned The Amazing Mr Blunden! One of my favourite films as a child
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Post by Dave25 on Mar 20, 2017 10:58:12 GMT
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Post by johartuk on Mar 20, 2017 13:09:02 GMT
Just listening to some of the songs. 'Prologue' - I just love the music, and have done since the original film. So haunting and beautiful, it really sets the scene. Not sure about the female narration - I prefer the male voice from the original film. I can't help thinking Ian McKellen would have been a better choice to narrate the prologue. 'Be My Guest' sounds good. 'Belle' - the autotune is really apparent on Emma W's vocals, not least because everyone else's vocals either aren't autotuned or are autotuned to a much lesser degree, so they sound much more natural. Emma also seemed to have missed the memo about singing with English accents, so there are times when an American twang creeps in. Luke Evans sounds fab, great vocals! 'Gaston' - Liking this, great vocals from Luke again. 'Beauty & The Beast' - OK, but Emma Thompson's vocals lack the warmth of Angela Lansbury's. I also agree about Emma's accent, though it's not quite Dick Van Dyke bad! 'Beauty & The Beast' (Finale) - Is that Audra singing the first bit? Love her voice! 'Evermore' - Blimey, is that Dan Stevens? Great job from him, and a tricky song to sing, so well done! 'Something There' - Again, fab from Dan Stevens! Emma is autotuned to within an inch of her life (she does sound rather like 'Siri') and the American twang is there again. 'Days In The Sun' - Lovely song. Audra sounding great again, but Siri..er...Emma is really starting to bug me!
Overall, I think it's a strong soundtrack. It's just a shame they didn't get an actress who could actually sing to play Belle.
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211 posts
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Post by BoOverall on Mar 20, 2017 17:41:17 GMT
As we were leaving the cinema, a young girl told her mum it was sad Gaston didn't love LeFou back and asked her mum if she thought LeFou would find a boyfriend. A really heart-warming thing to hear, which kind of made my evening!
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Post by steve10086 on Mar 20, 2017 17:44:42 GMT
When I saw it, and Gaston fell to his death, a little kid screamed "yessss!". Good kid :-)
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 20, 2017 18:33:51 GMT
Totally forgot that the audience actually clapped at this! Have only had that at the Les Mis film before, but it thoroughly deserved it.
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Post by longinthetooth on Mar 20, 2017 18:38:52 GMT
I think I must be odd. Beauty and the Beast has passed me by on all levels and I can't summon up any interest in the film whatsoever. In fact, the first I knew of it was when Emma Watson kept turning up on everything on TV and in the papers the other week, and I wondered why.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 20, 2017 18:52:34 GMT
I think I must be odd. Beauty and the Beast has passed me by on all levels and I can't summon up any interest in the film whatsoever. In fact, the first I knew of it was when Emma Watson kept turning up on everything on TV and in the papers the other week, and I wondered why. The cartoon... sorry 'animation' passed me by too. I only saw it for the first time last year. I thought it was nice. That's all. I have zero emotional investment in it which is, I suspect, why I liked the new version. You're the perfect punter for this.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2017 19:17:08 GMT
I've found that cinema audiences are very fond of clapping for musicals.
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Post by Michael on Mar 20, 2017 21:56:42 GMT
After all the bad comments, I decided to give it a miss, but since I'm currently on a business trip, the local movie was screening it in English w/o subtitles and I had nothing better to do, I just saw BatB.
What can I say - I wish I hadn't. Firstly, Emma Watson. I had lowered my expectations to the bare minimum, but she undercut them - with ease. The amount of auto tune made her sound horribly horrible (sic!). I can't understand how she even made it past the first round of auditions, let alone be in the actual movie. If they wanted a name (not that it's necessary), they should have cast Anna Kendrick instead. But for Ms Watson's defence, no-one's singing voice stood really out.
Also disappointed that If I Can't Love Her didn't make it. I know, it's not in the animated movie either, but it's such a great song.
Way too much CGI for my liking.
I'm so not buying the soundtrack, and I'm not sure if I'll ever buy the Bluray.
Lastly, the audience behaviour was terrible. Popcorn munching and constant talking - even during Beauty and the Beast (the song...) when I finally walked over and shushed them. Didn't help for long unfortunately. Seriously, what's wrong with people?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2017 10:49:57 GMT
Totally forgot that the audience actually clapped at this! Have only had that at the Les Mis film before, but it thoroughly deserved it. When I saw Les Mis in the cinema there wasn't just applause, at the end of the film there was a standing ovation! And this wasn't any special showing, just a casual Friday night. Though totally deserved haha.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2017 11:10:11 GMT
Totally forgot that the audience actually clapped at this! Have only had that at the Les Mis film before, but it thoroughly deserved it. When I saw Les Mis in the cinema there wasn't just applause, at the end of the film there was a standing ovation! And this wasn't any special showing, just a casual Friday night. Though totally deserved haha. Ha! How stupid were THAT audience!?
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Post by Honoured Guest on Mar 21, 2017 15:00:47 GMT
Ha! How stupid were THAT audience!? Well, not as stupid as me. Not seen the movie but I've been intrigued by the casting of Emma Watson and perplexed that there's so little love for her performance. I admit she does sound like leftfield casting for Beauty but I thought she gave the tv drama performance of the year in Apple Tree Yard. So I've now booked a ticket for the film. And then I decided to have a quick peek preview by viewing the trailer. AAGGHH - that was Emily Watson ...
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Post by ali973 on Mar 26, 2017 3:59:36 GMT
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Post by The Matthew on Mar 26, 2017 5:45:49 GMT
Well, I tried to fix that link, but the forum software isn't having any of it. Copy it and replace the asterisks with the obvious.
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Post by rosscoe on Mar 26, 2017 5:51:58 GMT
I had no issue with any of the cast Emma was fine , not the best singer but was fine. The huge issue for me was that it lacked magic, romance and was so bloated, overlong and really no point for it to exist.
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Post by steve10086 on Mar 26, 2017 7:48:08 GMT
I was kinda hoping that would be about Luke Evans 😳
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Post by jgblunners on Mar 26, 2017 8:52:55 GMT
Well that was quite a journey 😜 Although I might've done the same myself if it were Luke Evans...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2017 16:41:58 GMT
OMGosh. I LOVED this. It doesn't matter that Emma Watson isn't that good a singer or that she can't act because she's a lovely Belle. And to be honest it's all about the supporting players anyway. Film looks scrumptious, they didn't bugger up Be Our Guest and I teared up at a few moments. Win win all round.
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Post by haz23 on Mar 26, 2017 20:22:32 GMT
I've seen the film twice and loved it both times - I had my reservations about Emma Watson before seeing it but I thought she was the perfect Belle. Audra and Luke Evans are stars and I enjoyed Ewan MacGregor's 'Be Our Guest' (thought his voice sounded very strained in Moulin Rouge and this was a better sing for him). Loved the new songs too, the soundtrack is amazing! Fingers crossed this might give Disney a push to revive the stage version soon...
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Post by bren on Mar 27, 2017 0:23:41 GMT
Have to agree with the above. I thought Emma Watson was charming and engaging throughout. I find her likeable. She doesn't have a great voice- that's for sure- but she still made the role her own. Watching the animated movie back, the characterisation of Belle is quite bland so as an actress I think Emma did well, given the limitations of the role. I'm not sure what people expected...
Maybe my expectations were too low after reading the scathing reviews here, but she far exceeded them.
Really enjoyed Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe. Pity she wasn't onscreen more. The 'exclusive gay moment' was a total anticlimax but I felt it was clear from the rest of the film that Le Fou was gay.
Visually it was great- so much colour and fabulous costumes.
'Be our guest' was wonderful.
I do think the movie is too long and one or two of the new songs didn't add much, but overall I feel it did justice to the original.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2017 1:38:37 GMT
Watching the animated movie back, the characterisation of Belle is quite bland so as an actress I think Emma did well, given the limitations of the role. I'm not sure what people expected... Someone that isn't a bad actress and singer.
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 28, 2017 11:32:28 GMT
Just my scattergun thoughts here:
For me Disney has always equalled saccharine and cutesy. (totally not my thing) so a few of those elements I found quite cloying.
For the most part I really enjoyed the film, in the moment. The story is pretty much bulletproof. Though there are a few nonsensical parts of the screenplay and character motivations that jump around or make no sense when you look back on it.
Thought Emma Watson was rotten. Terribly autotuned, bland, need I go on. How on earth does she get cast? I’ve never seen her in anything before so I’m mystified what the fuss was about.
Such a shame musical films have reverted back the old school miming technique. It looks SO artificial now. I thought the technologies pioneered on the set of Les Mis were going to be the way forward now, but with this and Into The Woods we appear to have regressed.
I didn’t like the CGI Beast. GCI rarely works for me, certainly not on vaguely humanoid creatures. (a talking beast sort of humanises it more than a standard animal). The character needed to convey complex and subtle human emotions and I’m afraid that just doesn’t come across in a CG character.
He left me a bit cold. It would have been far more visceral and real if they had used an actor with extensive make up design.
A shame so many of the stage numbers were binned. I’ve always found the film songs serviceable at best, and not particularly memorable. My opinion hasn’t been revised by this film. Then again I’ve always found Alan Menken hideously overrated (aside from Little Shop of Horrors) and the lyrics to the title song could have been written by a 12 year old.
But all in all, I was moved by it. I loved the supporting characters and cast. I loved the imagination of it all, I loved the production design.
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 28, 2017 11:38:26 GMT
I think I must be odd. Beauty and the Beast has passed me by on all levels and I can't summon up any interest in the film whatsoever. In fact, the first I knew of it was when Emma Watson kept turning up on everything on TV and in the papers the other week, and I wondered why. The cartoon... sorry 'animation' passed me by too. I only saw it for the first time last year. I thought it was nice. That's all. I have zero emotional investment in it which is, I suspect, why I liked the new version. You're the perfect punter for this.
I agree. It's a totally difference experience if you don't have the emotional investment in it - I think you need to be of a certain "cohort".
I am 41, and watched the film in 1992 with my young nieces. I enjoyed it at the time, but I was not into cartoons as a 16 year old lad - dreadfully babyish! Especially back then before what passes for adult-age entertainment started regressing.
However my companion was 27 and completely enthralled by it, and was "totes emosh".
I definitely watched the film more on face value, and for the most part enjoyed it. (in spite of it being Disney)
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 28, 2017 11:46:10 GMT
^ Well, I've learned something from that. Thanks couldileaveyou.
Haha. Likewise. I think those of us from Generation X are completely mystified by the fuss.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2017 11:59:07 GMT
I feel we should shout out that, in just 12 days of release, this movie has taken $693.5 million, blowing all other movie musicals out of the water and is on track to become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time!
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Post by johartuk on Mar 28, 2017 12:17:19 GMT
Have to agree with the above. I thought Emma Watson was charming and engaging throughout. I find her likeable. She doesn't have a great voice- that's for sure- but she still made the role her own. Watching the animated movie back, the characterisation of Belle is quite bland so as an actress I think Emma did well, given the limitations of the role. I'm not sure what people expected... Someone who could sing and had depth to their voice. If you listen to Belle's singing voice in the animated film, it's strong, has depth and you feel the emotion coming through when she's singing. Emma's voice is thin and emotionless by comparison.
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Post by Mira on Mar 28, 2017 19:33:41 GMT
Have to agree with the above. I thought Emma Watson was charming and engaging throughout. I find her likeable. She doesn't have a great voice- that's for sure- but she still made the role her own. Watching the animated movie back, the characterisation of Belle is quite bland so as an actress I think Emma did well, given the limitations of the role. I'm not sure what people expected... Someone who could sing and had depth to their voice. If you listen to Belle's singing voice in the animated film, it's strong, has depth and you feel the emotion coming through when she's singing. Emma's voice is thin and emotionless by comparison. Well, the key here is that is some people's opinion. NOT a fact. I thought her voice was emotional, not with a sledgehammer and totally OTT but rather subtle and that's why her casting worked for me.
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