The Jean Cocteau classic is over-rated, but that doesn't lower it to anything less than the level of a fun, curious fantasy with transcendentally lovely sets.
The story is well told, and the acting, especially by Belle, is charming. At the start, it looks set to be a masterpiece, with fantastic atmospherics and a wonderful (though severly budget constrained settings of the house of la bete).
The problem with the film though is that it never quite goes the whole hog; never quite t hrows the kitchen sink in. The emotional scenes are a little over-stylised, and no one seems ever quite sure, or confident enough, to truly let themselves go. The beast isn't quite dark enough; Belle seems oddly undecided as to what characterisation what to give to herself. And as for the end...I'm not sure whether to say kop-out, or some wierd self-referential experiment.
The scenes of the house are dazzling at times, though, again (perhaps due to the budget) rather under done, underemphasised.
All told, a film more than worth seeing, and we understand why some would love this. Fur us, however, it never quite makes the leap from good cinema to the transcendental.
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