By Kummam Al-Maadeed

The film adaptation of New York Times’ best-selling novel, ‘Beautiful Creatures’, is being released this week in cinemas across Doha. The story is narrated by Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) who is stuck in a small southern town doing repetitive daily activities and hanging out with the same people, until he starts dreaming about a mysterious girl. That’s when Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) moves into town to stay with her uncle, Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons). Rumors follow her and people begin to push her away as weird events start to transpire. Intrigued by her, Ethan ignores all warnings from his peers and takes steps to be closer to her, only to find out that she’s stranger than he thought. Lena comes from a family of witches, or as they prefer it, a family of ‘casters’, and of course in all great love stories, she is bound by a curse. When she turns sixteen, she will either be claimed by the dark forces and be lost forever or be saved by the light. Ethan struggles to keep her balanced as she faces pressure from both sides.

The spells and curses thrown back and forth between the family members required heavy special effects and they were executed beautifully. It wasn’t only large scenes of destruction, but it also had elegant and artistic landscapes, for example when Lena’s whole room was covered in lines of poetry it added another layer to the film and made the locale visually stand out. As I was searching to know more about this film, I discovered that the director, Richard LaGravenese didn’t want to rely on green screens, rather he wanted to create scenes as true to form as he could. This commitment to authenticity can be seen in the spinning table sequence, which was a real contraption not special effects. The director asked for the table to be made especially for that purpose and then had the cast tied to it.

Other than the effects, the film discusses many subjects that we struggle with in everyday life, for example the feeling of being stuck and going nowhere; a state that most people in the town experience. Also the matter of sacrifice for those we love and the lengths we take to protect people is clear in the film. The main subject however, had to be dealt with by Lena and her family. The eternal battle of good and evil and whether we choose the way we are or whether it is chosen for us. This subject wasn’t only discussed through dialogue, but also through the contrast noticed in the setting and costumes which added to the beauty of the special effects.

The stars of this supernatural romance, Ethan and Lena were played by the young new comers Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert, who had to step up their game to match the great cast within this film. Emma Thompson brilliantly played the role of strict and very religious, Mrs. Lincoln who is possessed by the strongest dark caster Sarafine. Emma’s role reflected the biggest contrast in the film and she delivered it in the most professional way by offering a smooth transition between Mr. Lincoln’s good nature and Sarafine’s darkness. The great cast also included Viola Davis in the role of Amma, Ethan’s neighbour and caregiver, and Emmy Rossum as Ridley Duchannes, Lena’s dark cousin. It’s been a while since we saw Emmy on the big screen and this role gave her a chance to show us another side of her as she normally chooses a compelling character to play.

All these elements culminated to form an enchanting spell that entertains viewers and made ‘Beautiful Creatures’ a film that can lighten your mood this weekend.

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