groovymike_16

Maybe it's because my expectations weren't real high, but I enjoyed "Beautiful Creatures" immensely. I'm actually disappointed I didn't bother seeing it theatrically. I thought it basically looked like "Twilight" with witches. And while on paper that sounds like an apt comparison (both are supernatural romance movies based on young adult novels) it does do the film a disservice. I believe it's a better made and better acted film.

From the trailers I thought the leads (Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert) seemed poor, with him seeming particularly terrible. To my surprise they were both great and the two had a really nice, believable chemistry. The supporting cast is also great. Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson seem to be having a great time, and Emmy Rossum is fun and sexy.

From what I understand fans of the books weren't crazy about it, but I've never read the books and I loved it. I'm sad it was a box office flop as I'd love for the other books in the series to become films. I'm glad, unlike most movies based on a series of books, that "Beautiful Creatures" is able to stand on its own and doesn't really end with a big cliffhanger or anything (not in my opinion at least). But it would still be great to see more. It's unfortunate this had to become a victim of a terrible release date. I do believe with a different date where it didn't have to go up against another film attracting the same audience (Safe Haven) it would have performed much better. And if by some miracle they did decide to make another I do think the audience would grow as more discover the first on DVD/Blu-ray, as long as it was released amongst less competition. They'd certainly need to try and cut the budget in half though. But alas I'm not holding my breath for the series to continue, as sad as it may be. "Beautiful Creatures" is well-worth watching though. Such an entertaining film.

My expectations were pretty low due to the majority of reviews being fairly toxic, but I have to say I loved it. What a pleasant surprise and one of the most under-appreciated films of 2012. I don't understand the bad reviews at all. It's a fascinating story, both sad and thoughtful. The three stories were perfectly woven together. I loved the scenes set in the past. Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons were great here and the standouts, but Zoe Saldana and Ben Barnes also deserve mentions.

The film is gorgeously shot. I loved the cinematography. Also really enjoyed the score. I don't really know what everyone else was thinking, but I thought "The Words" was a lovely literary drama. It's a small-scale film and is rather quiet and intimate, but I was never once bored. I see no reason mature audiences wouldn't enjoy this.

Such a shame this is so criminally under-seen. What frustrates me the most is this could have and should have been seen by more people. Focus Features really messed up the release of this one. If handled better I could have seen newcomer Adepero Oduye's acclaimed performance as Alike earning her an Academy Award nomination. She's wonderful in the lead role. Even comedy actress (and sister to the Wayans brothers) Kim Wayans may have scored a Supporting Actress nomination for her serious turn as Alike's misguided mother. She makes the transition from comedy to a serious role amazingly well (not unlike Mo'Nique's turn in Precious, though I prefer this less showy role to hers).

I highly recommend seeking this out. It's a great drama with a star-making performance by Adepero Oduye.