dvd of the week
The plot is basically a standard supernatural star-crossed lovers tale, one that is rather familiar to young consumers of contemporary pop culture. But there is a snarky, dark edge to Beautiful Creatures, partly because of the potential evil in Lena (Alice Englert) and partly due to the wry insults the teens throw at each other.
Richard LaGravenese’s screenplay has a simple structure, but the repartee between the characters, particularly when it involves hyper-literate Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) or delightfully evil Mrs. Lincoln (Emma Thompson), is where the fun comes in. I’m not sure how LaGravenese managed to assemble such an incredible cast for a genre film.
Lena and Ethan are unknowns, and while Englert is perhaps a bit too mopey in her role, Ehrenreich oozes a witty, sexy charm; I hope we see more of him. And Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis and Emmy Rossum have a great deal of fun with their roles, and I had a great deal of fun watching them.
