BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (La Belle et la Bete) (2014) - ♦♦♦

Directed by - Christophe Gans

Written by - Sandra Vo-Anh, Christophe Gans

Starring - Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux

"The youngest daughter of a merchant exiled into the countryside after the sinking of a ship, ends up having to trade her life imprisoned for the sake of her father after he falls in the hands of a mysterious Beast. But behind the beast, lies a man and with her presence her heart begins to soften.

French cinema revisiting the classic fable seems suited, yet the shamelessly over-romanticised approach to the story will not go down well with everyone. Despite this, one can notice influences from the over melodramatic silent films of early cinema - though it must be said that the vast majority of them do not seem to have aged so well to most of modern cinema's audience.

Nevertheless, the version of Beauty and the Beast retains a lot of dignity through its wonderful lavish and gothic art direction and remarkable special effects that make this version Beauty and the Beast an absolutely enchanting treat for the eye."

Fantasy, France/Germany