The Beautichian and The Beast, 1997

      This film generates different reactions in Russia. We publish two articles of opposite points of view. The truth lies usually between them.

      K.A.


      I have heard a lot of extreme and opposite responses to "The Beautichian and The Beast". But it's the fact: I gave video-cassette to all my friends and even checked through it to my Peterburg's pen-friend - the result was always the same. The film was a general favourite without exception, including my son's friends at twenty and my mother at 75. There are people with various experience and conception about the world.

      At the same time I have heard delations at various film sides especially cheap humour, far-fetched story, actor's "overplaying". Well, everyone has a right to have his or her own opinion� But I consider this film like very amusing and pretty. Fran Dresher and Timothy Dalton are wondeful duet in which one complements other. I wouldn't declare the film contains lambent humour. Is it really essential for comedy? We still laugh at " Jolly Boys" where lambent humour is absolutely absent.

      "The Beautichian and The Beast" is a little bit fairytale, a little bit melodrama, certainly comedy and parody. Alas, parody of us, of our past. Fuff! What is bad in it? As to me, our own satirists are now busy the only one business - to make us laughing at ourselves. But why the Americans cannot do the same? And this parody isn't lampoon. Funny but not lampoon.

      Now a few words about heroes. It is my belief, Fran Dresher is completely charming as Joe Miller, american beautichian, who happy-go-lucky arrived in Slovecia to teach widowed president-dictator's children. (Slovecia is a little precedently communistic country in the middle of Europe.) Dresher is beautiful, inartificial and glamourous. I firstly saw her but I think she is born like comedic actress.

      As to Timothy Dalton in a role of slovetski dictator Boris Pochenko, he surprised me again. I suppose it's great achievement to be absolutely unlike to himself and his former heroes. Is it possible to see in Pochenko even a little hint to James Bond or to Rotchester or to Rett Battler? No, of course! You wouldn't see it even if you will try to do it. And it's wondreful! I think, Joe Miller gives the most right definition of Tim's hero: "You have a boy of eight's character". This phrase sounds nearly to the film's end, but in the beginning of movie I have felt the dictator is a great child. Really the children like nobody else can unknowingly behave themselves cruelly and selfishly. And Dalton clearly shows how his hero grows up step-by-step. As to me, Timothy is admirable both in lyric and comedic scenas. Does he overplay? May be. But it is within the framework of film and genre.

      Finally I want to express my thanks to Tim because every time I see this film I laugh, I am in a good mood. And I am completely agreed with Tim that "it's important to keep the fun among us all, as adults." (Susan Stark.Timothy Dalton bonds with his comedic side in his first funny role on film. Detroit News Film Critic. 7.02.97.)

      V.G., 1999

      I am absolutely disagreed with the author of the review above. I was the only member of my family, who could show all the film to its end. After viewing I had a sense of heaviness, annoyance and regret for wasted time.

      I agree with the author only in the one moment - film doesn't contain lambent humor. More, any humor is absolutely absent in this film and its comparison with the beautiful soviet comedy "Jolly Boys" isn't relevant here.

      "The Beautichian and The Beast" isn't a lightly fairy tale, melodrama or comedy. May be it was a try to make satire. More, it is satire on unreal defects, which are fabricated by author, so it is pasquinade. I was especially distressed about reviewer's idea of our and US satirists. For example, one man begins to beat himself. May be he wants to cleanse his soul, may be it is religion act, may be he is a masochist. In any way this is his choice and we can understand it. But this is another situation, when somebody begins to help him, begins to beat him too. May be he is fond of pleasure, may be he is sadist, may be he asserts oneself. The author of the review doesn't see any badness in this situation, but I don't agree with him.

      Film contains spirit of US nation chauvinism, contains an idea that US is number one in modern world and may teach other countries. Any US beautichian is more clever, more cultural and more spiritual than any president of East Europe country, for example, Boris Pochenko. Only US ideals helps Pochenko to be a good man. Yes, the work of white man is hard work (remember R.Kipling). It is difficult to enlighten the backward European countries.

      To my mind, it is sad, that so gifted actor like Timoty Dalton played main role in so bad film. According to the time of this film creation (1997), I can propose another scenario - any soviet prostitute teaches the American president (Timoty Dalton) the elementary rules of work with his staff, for example, the rules of work with trainees.

      This film isn't a story about the beautician and the beast, it isn't a story about beautiful America and awful Europe. It is the only banging (beast) failure.

      N.N., 1999

      In distinction from West where this film was interesting to Timothy Dalton's fans as his film-comedy, where he took part very seldom, in Russia "The Beautichian and The Beast" had a roaring reaction. I am not accordant with our "editor in chief" (K.E.) that "views are opposite" and "truth lies between". Victoria's and Nick's views are opposite, but there are a lot of opinions do not gee neither one neither another.

      So we invite those who was hited home with this film to give their own opinion.

      I think, the foreign viewers point of view would be useful for Russians. Why, may be I am wrong and nobody in the West was interested in "academic" side of this movie only.

      �.�.

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