Review of Beautiful Creatures (2013) by Thomas W — 14 Jul 2013

"Beautiful Creatures" is the movie "Twilight" dreamed to have been.  Although, if "Twilight" was hoping to be corny and eye roll-filled, then that's a shame.  Because in the end, "Beautiful Creatures", as campy and loony as it frequently is, has a keen sense of wit mixed with an endlessly fascinating supernatural setting, one that "Twilight" can hardly manage.  It's poor commercial performance is disappointing but not surprising-- the series it's based on isn't as popular as Stephanie Meyers' series and it isn't filmed conventionally. But it's a pleasure to see a fantasy film that isn't trying to simply make money.

Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) is a mysterious 15-year old girl that has a secret: she's a "witch" (the correct term is a "caster"). It's a sort of Hannah Montana situation, only minus the wig, the pop songs, and a has-been country star for a dad. The rumors that swirl around her at school are persistent; most believe her entire family consists of Satan-worshippers. That isn't the case though: her guardian is the reclusive Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons) who tries to keep her as safe as possible.

Problem: Lena is about to turn 16. For most kids, this is a good thing, because it means a drivers license is in their midst, and a job is now an option. But for Lena, 16 is the age where casters either go to the "dark side" or the "light side." As "Star Wars" as it may sound, it's a serious problem for her: she's suddenly fallen for the kindly Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich), a mortal who presents danger to her becoming light or dark. It doesn't help that her evil mother (who has taken over the body of Emma Thompson) is persisting that she go to the dark side, or that she's extremely close to her 16th birthday.

I can't completely suggest that "Beautiful Creatures" isn't without its faults.  Surely, it's a step up from other imitators of its category, but there are moments that are inevitably uneven.  There are scenes that ring with comedy and camp, with other than are somewhat horrific and spooky.  There never is a good combination: instead, it's usually one or the other.  Any pick however, is entertaining.  There isn't necessarily a dull moment in the film, because there is so much happening at an Energizer-bunny rate.  But it isn't too often lately where you see a film so hard trying to make a statement in your head.

There are lots of lines that you can picture teenage girls swooning to, but overall, the script packs quite a deal of a bunch.  There are lots of satirical bits coming from the "good, Christian family" members' mouths that make us laugh easily, and Lena and Ethan dialogues between each other are sophisticated and maintain a level of smarts that one would only expect from the teenagers in a "Scream" movie.  Not everything on display is perfect, but it's more intelligently written than most teenybopper romances.

The settings are constantly eye-catching, ominous but often luscious all at once.  Gatlin, a town which most of its residences dislike, actually is somewhat of a getaway, with trees and forests nearly everywhere with weather that ordinarily Tim Burton could only make fascinating.  The sets, often seeping with gothic atmosphere or Andy Warhol pop-art color, prove to be eye-catching 100% of the time, with its larger-than-life characters/caricatures in synch, not in second place.

The two leads, one could say, the bizarro Bella and Edward, are more fascinating that one would expect.  Ethan isn't a character left to simply smolder and brood because it looks good.  With likable charm and a light touch of helplessness due to his "outsider syndrome" (he's the Bella of the film), he's immediately a good lead.  Lena, a troubled (near) "witch" is moody, artistic, and smart.  She has talent, but it's kept suppressed thanks to her protective Uncle and her anxiety over her future.

Better yet, the supporting performances are just as strong as the leads.  Irons is commanding is a subtle but ultimately stern way that makes him believable as Lena's father figure; Thompson steals the screen constantly as the town's most uptight super-Christian who is secretly in the same category of the supernatural crowd; Viola Davis is quietly strong as the wise Amma; and Emmy Rossum is over-the-top and surprisingly sexy as the intriguing Ridley.  An assortment of characters like this is needed in a film that's so all-over-the-place.

"Beautiful Creatures" is a flawed but fun fantasy romance. I'd like to see it spawn a franchise, but there's a very slim chance of it. But for a single film, it works well enough.