Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
Written by: Richard LaGravenese, Richard LaGraveness
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons
IN CINEMAS NOW
RUNNING TIME:124 mins
REVIEWED BY: Dr Lenera, Official HCF Critic
Ethan Wake is bored of his life in Gatlin, South Carolina, where religion has led to more books being banned than are actually available to read. Ethan just about keeps himself going by reading as many of these banned books as possible and having a recurring dream of a girl he doesn’t know. Arriving for his first day of junior year, Ethan notices newcomer Lena Duchannes, about whom the other students spread gossip regarding her and her reclusive uncle, Macon Ravenwood, being devil worshippers. When Ethan nearly runs over Lena, whose car has broken down, they begin a friendship that seems to be against the wishes of both the towsfolk and Lena’s father…….
There is an increase of films that are trying to fill the hole left by Twilight in the lives of the thousands of teenage girls who thrilled to the love of Edward and Bella, oblivious to what wretched pieces of cinema they were. Beautiful Creatures [nothing to do with the Rachel Weisz movie from thirteen years before] is the latest effort and has had a disappointing box office reception which probably means the other instalments of the Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl won’t reach the screen. No great loss considering this film really does play like a variation of the first Twilight film for a while [just change sexes and substitute vampires for things called ‘casters’ who are basically witches or warlocks]. The acting of the two leads is much better though and the dialogue far less painful, though you may wonder what the writer of The Fisher King is doing with this material. The love story is quite sweet until it poorly brings in the over-used element of reincarnation, and some of the twists and turns of the plot that follow seem to just exist to make you think it’s all about to finish when it actually hasn’t. The film is frequently dull yet paradoxically seems to pack in too much story towards the end, though the anticipated climax barely happens and the CGI throughout is awful. A revolving table scene could end up as one of the funniest of the year. Overall passable, with Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson enjoying themselves, and not torture like your average Twilight movie, but nothing special either.
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