'The Beast' Movie Review (TIFF 2023)
Image credit: Courtesy of TIFF
Written by: Gracie Lowes
Making it’s North American debut at TIFF 2023, Bertrand Bonello’s French-Canadian science fiction romantic drama ‘The Beast’ (‘La Bête’) starring Léa Seydoux, and George MacKay, plays with the topic of past lives and how far you would go to keep those memories.
‘The Beast’ (‘La Bête’) which is loosely inspired by Henry James' 1903 novella ‘The Beast in the Jungle’ follows the many lives of two young romantics, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) and Louis (George MacKay).
In a world where pain doesn’t have to be felt, and happiness and AI are the key components to a successful life, Gabrielle is hesitant to join the rest of society and receive her DNA cleansing.
Ultimately, after talking it through with her friend, Gabrielle agrees to begin her life-changing procedure that erases all of her past lives and the memories that come with them.
In the days between her procedure, she meets Louis, a man who is also hesitant about the DNA cleansing process.
The pair go on to get to know each other and quickly realise this may not be the first time they’ve crossed paths with each other, maybe just for the first in this lifetime.
From start to finish, Léa Seydoux and George MacKay put in their blood, sweat and tears… many tears into their performances and Gabrielle and Louis.
Just from the first scene alone when they’re in a flashback to a party where the pair cross paths for the first time since they were children, the raw emotion and tension between the characters is electric.
They perfectly sold the story of two star-crossed lovers, who much like Romeo and Juliet could never be together (but for different reasons).
Another scene that really stood out to me for not only showcasing their talent as performers but also their chemistry, was a scene that takes place in a doll factory, where Louis asks Gabrielle to admit her true feelings for him. The silence, eye contact and facial movements in this scene are such a pivotal point in showing the pair's true feelings for each other despite the fact that they can’t be together.
Photo credit: Carole Bethuel
Along with their fantastic performances, I also enjoyed all of the different costumes the pair wore.
Each costume design stays true to the era the two are in timewise, but it also shows the growth of their relationship and their characters.
As the film progresses their clothes become more loose and modern as opposed to the tight and restrictive costumes at the start.
Overall, I’d give ‘The Beast’ 2 out of 5 stars.
The film had amazing actors who had strong chemistry, and the film also had impressive and deep shots, but I felt the plot ultimately got lost at points and made for a somewhat confusing story.
If you enjoyed ‘Romeo & Juliet’ or ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ I’d recommend watching ‘The Beast’.
