Movie Review Madness - Beauty and the Beast

A tale as old as time….Beauty and the Beast gets a live action Disney remake that is absolutely gorgeous and worthy. Go see it on a monster big screen. Spring for the good theater with XD fancy screen and sound. Get the big tub of popcorn and bask in an old fashioned musical.  Not much new to the story. Belle (Emma Watson) is the odd girl in an old French town. She reads books, for goodness sake, and dreams of more to life. No, she does not want to marry Gaston (Luke Evans) – the hot male in town who’s an egomaniac.  Her father (the always good to see Kevin Kline) is eccentric and when he goes off to market loses his way and ends up a prisoner in an odd creepy castle. His faithful horse shows up and takes Belle to find him. There she says, “Step into the light” and meets the Beast.

This formerly vain prince had a curse placed upon him and his castle.  Now, until a final rose petal falls, he must remain a hideous creature and his servants are stuck as candelabras (Ewan McGregor), clocks (Ian McKellan), teapots (Emma Thompson), and the fancy wardrobe (Audra MacDonald- fabulous voice),  etc.   Belle swaps places with her father and shows her strong will. She’s not going to put up with crap from the Beast. But slowly she realizes he is her match – he’s well read, has a fabulous library, and she slowly makes him less selfish. Meanwhile, she charms the characters and they love her.

Emma Watson is perfect in this role. She projects intelligence. Her interplay with the Beast (a charming and worthy Dan Stevens) works. And he slowly wins her favor and ours. Deep down he is human, he does care, and does need and seek love. Can she fall for him in time to save them all?  Oh, you must enjoy the film to the end – bask in the lavish numbers (Be Our Guest). Love is unpredictable, and sometimes you do have to look into the soul, into the core of a creature to find what’s worthy.  So, yes, a bit of a lesson in this day and age. But the supreme goal of Beauty and the Beast is to entertain, to tell a tale as old as time…and golly gee, it will win your heart. 

Movie Review: Ricki and the Flash

Ricki and the Flash - Great cast. So-so story by Diablo Cody. She’s a young sharp writer. However, this movie is more Lifetime soap opera, than cutting edge tale. I was amused for my matinee price of $5 and the theater was nice and cool on a 100+ degree day. But even with heat delirium, I have to give this movie a C+/B-.  

Aging rocker, Ricki (the amazing Meryl Streep) is playing with a bar house band (The Flash) by night, and checking groceries by day. She’s eking out a living, but loves the music scene in CA. Fear of commitment keeps her from embracing her lead guitarist, Greg ( yummy Rick Springfield). She gets a phone call from ex-husband (Kevin Kline- wonderful) that brings her back to the heartland of Indiana. Their daughter is being divorced. She’s distraught, tried to commit suicide, and he thinks it’s time for blood mother to show up and do something.  

Family drama ensues. Daughter and sons resent mom for walking out a zillion years ago. They and their lives have moved on. BUT, no matter what Ricki (formerly Linda) is the mom and there’s room for redemption. Of course Kevin Kline and wife (Audra MacDonald – greatness) have a huge fantastic house and have given the “kids” now young adults stability and love. BUT…… 

The big BUT is the Ricki factor. Best scene In the movie is the confrontation between the stepmother and mother. Audra v. Meryl – face to face. I, of course, root for the stepmother who had to raise these kids, deal with the teen years, put up with the sickness, the sorrows, and got to cheer the good times. BUT……..no matter what, there’s the Mom factor. So, Ricki does her thing and the daughter is at least showering and dressing decently. Now, what about the older son’s impending nuptials. Will Ricki be invited to the wedding? Will everyone get along after all?  

Let’s just say it does go predictable, and yes you’ll smile and enjoy the tunes. I yearned for a version of Rick’s hit “Jessie’s Girl”. Alas, not to be. But Meryl pulls off decent singing. That woman is a chameleon and can play anything.  Ricki and the Flash is entertaining. This movie does not reveal anything new in the Prodigal storyline. Wait for it to stream, or see it super cheap on a hot summer day. No deep thinking needed, except how could Diablo Cody have written a better script for this highly credentialed cast?