THE BEAST (2024) – Henry James meets AI. Bertrand Bonello's very loose adaptation of James' novella “Beast In The Jungle” takes the kernel of the author's 80 page work and expands it into an 145 minute epic spanning three time frames some 130 years apart (Guillaume Bread and Benjamin Charbit co-wrote).
Lea Seydoux plays Gabrielle across all three periods of the story. Her suitor is Louis (George McKay). For the first half of the movie, the screenplay mainly focuses on two time eras: 1910, in which Gabrielle is a married pianist who is drawn to Louis. 2044, which posits Gabrielle in a future where she recognizes him, but not vice-versa. Later, a third epoch, 2014, takes center stage. In this era, Louis is a misogynist and Gabrielle a model-actress who becomes the target of his target of attention (this portion is said to based on a true crime case).
Bonello cuts back and forth freely between the years, using aspect ratios and media (film and digital) to signal the shifts in time. It's an adventurous concept which, occasionally, evokes Resnais' LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD as much as James. The notion of a relationship spanning across time is an inherently fascinating one even if it doesn't all quite work.
Seydoux is on camera for virtually the entire film. She brilliantly evokes her Gabrielle at all three phases/versions of her life. She makes each of them distinct, while also maintaining the character's enduring essence. McKay is also quite good, even if his Louis isn't as singular (by design). There are other characters, but none are all too significant.
In addition to the themes of love and commitment, Bonello also uses dolls as a common symbol, with the most significant being a very human android named Poupee Kelly (Guslagie Malanga) in the future. The lead character being apprehensive about their future which is a theme in James's book is magnified exponentially by Bonello.
Unfortunately, the modern (2014) story is so divergent in tone from the others, that it seriously harms the flow of the film. Thematically, one could stretch and pull in order to force it into the carefully laid out past and future sections to make it “fit”, but it never comes together. Further, it's the longest (and largely unbroken) segment to boot – not to mention distasteful. The James roots were already tenuous, but this portion renders any connection almost moot.
THE BEAST is a sharp looking film. The Beatles-like Nehru Jacket is a nice touch in the disco. The central ideas are powerful, and Seydoux is superb. It's a movie worth exploring as much for noting it's flaws as admiring its moxie.
THE BEAST is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel and for rental. It's on Blu Ray and DVD.
Lea Seydoux plays Gabrielle across all three periods of the story. Her suitor is Louis (George McKay). For the first half of the movie, the screenplay mainly focuses on two time eras: 1910, in which Gabrielle is a married pianist who is drawn to Louis. 2044, which posits Gabrielle in a future where she recognizes him, but not vice-versa. Later, a third epoch, 2014, takes center stage. In this era, Louis is a misogynist and Gabrielle a model-actress who becomes the target of his target of attention (this portion is said to based on a true crime case).
Bonello cuts back and forth freely between the years, using aspect ratios and media (film and digital) to signal the shifts in time. It's an adventurous concept which, occasionally, evokes Resnais' LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD as much as James. The notion of a relationship spanning across time is an inherently fascinating one even if it doesn't all quite work.
Seydoux is on camera for virtually the entire film. She brilliantly evokes her Gabrielle at all three phases/versions of her life. She makes each of them distinct, while also maintaining the character's enduring essence. McKay is also quite good, even if his Louis isn't as singular (by design). There are other characters, but none are all too significant.
In addition to the themes of love and commitment, Bonello also uses dolls as a common symbol, with the most significant being a very human android named Poupee Kelly (Guslagie Malanga) in the future. The lead character being apprehensive about their future which is a theme in James's book is magnified exponentially by Bonello.
Unfortunately, the modern (2014) story is so divergent in tone from the others, that it seriously harms the flow of the film. Thematically, one could stretch and pull in order to force it into the carefully laid out past and future sections to make it “fit”, but it never comes together. Further, it's the longest (and largely unbroken) segment to boot – not to mention distasteful. The James roots were already tenuous, but this portion renders any connection almost moot.
THE BEAST is a sharp looking film. The Beatles-like Nehru Jacket is a nice touch in the disco. The central ideas are powerful, and Seydoux is superb. It's a movie worth exploring as much for noting it's flaws as admiring its moxie.
THE BEAST is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel and for rental. It's on Blu Ray and DVD.
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