Movie of the Week: Beautiful Creatures
Feb. 24th, 2013 03:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaceySet in the American south, this is a love story with a supernatural twist. Ethan longs to leave the small town where he feels he's being stifled by the narrow minds surrounding him, but his life changes when he meets Lena, recently moved to town to the protection of her uncle, Macon Ravenwood, a recluse who more or less owns the town founded by his ancestors.
The trailer gave away the main plot point, however. Lena is a witch - or a caster as they prefer to be called. When she reaches 16 she'll be claimed either by the dark or the light. Terrified she's going to turn dark as other family members have done, she des the usual teenage thing of causing minor chaos, mostly unintentionally as her magic gets out of control. Macen tries to protect her while her mother, Sarafine, having possessed the body of Mrs Lincoln, a town busybody, does her best to make sure the darkness wins.
The slight plot is saved by some good performances, surprisingly with Brits Jeremy Irons (Macen), Emma Thompson (Sarafine) and Eileen Atkins (Grandma) cast as Americans and making a decent job of it. (Jeremy Irons in any film is always a bonus!) Relative newcomer Alden Ehrenreich is very convincing as Ethan, but sadly Alice Englert is one of those actresses seemingly interchangeable with many others of her generation and is instantly forgettable as Lena. Viola Davis is excellent as Amma, the local seer and librarian who's been keeping an eye on Ethan ever since his mother died.
After a couple of thin weeks for movies even worth seeing on two-for-one day it was nice to get out to the cinema again, but this won't set the world on fire even though it was a pleasant way to pass a Wednesday afternoon.
The trailer gave away the main plot point, however. Lena is a witch - or a caster as they prefer to be called. When she reaches 16 she'll be claimed either by the dark or the light. Terrified she's going to turn dark as other family members have done, she des the usual teenage thing of causing minor chaos, mostly unintentionally as her magic gets out of control. Macen tries to protect her while her mother, Sarafine, having possessed the body of Mrs Lincoln, a town busybody, does her best to make sure the darkness wins.
The slight plot is saved by some good performances, surprisingly with Brits Jeremy Irons (Macen), Emma Thompson (Sarafine) and Eileen Atkins (Grandma) cast as Americans and making a decent job of it. (Jeremy Irons in any film is always a bonus!) Relative newcomer Alden Ehrenreich is very convincing as Ethan, but sadly Alice Englert is one of those actresses seemingly interchangeable with many others of her generation and is instantly forgettable as Lena. Viola Davis is excellent as Amma, the local seer and librarian who's been keeping an eye on Ethan ever since his mother died.
After a couple of thin weeks for movies even worth seeing on two-for-one day it was nice to get out to the cinema again, but this won't set the world on fire even though it was a pleasant way to pass a Wednesday afternoon.
