Beauty (2011)

Drawn out with too many loose ends. Too much contemplation in the lead actor part. If you can read minds, you might like the movie. Are we led to believe that the guy he attempted to rape, is at the bottom of the pool, or did he actually get what he went to the room for? If not, what the heck happened? Was all forgiven, or was the last bank withdrawal a payoff for silence? The movie just suddenly leaves you hanging, feeling you've wasted an hour and a half of your time. It's ashamed too, because it had the makings of a really good movie. The movie is about a repressed, screwed up guy with too much time and money on his hands. They could've done a much better job of telling the story. One moment you think it might be going somewhere, then all of a sudden it's all over the place, again. The script didn't allow the full potential of the actors. I can't believe it was nominated for any type of award. You'll likely be left thinking, "What the hell just happened" and not in a good way.

Oliver Hermanus wonderfully crafted "Beauty" was South Africa's submission to the Academy Awards as well as 2011 Un Certain Regard Cannes Film Festival Nominee and a Cannes award winner. This is a tale of repressed turmoil that slowly creep ups to the viewer. A very capable Deon Lotz plays François in an excellent performance filled with subtle anger, rage, jealousy and obsession. These feeling progressively take their toll on the unsuspecting Christian, brilliantly portrayed by Charlie Keegan with a devastating innocence and magnetic charm that will keep audiences disturbed long after experiencing this film. Family man Francois van Heerden is a haven of many secrets. Secrets that deteriorate as well as rot the insides. In his endurance of life's test and family matters, François is able to keep an expected straight face in his daily dealings as he slowly asphyxiates for attention from his daughter's mate Christian. Christian, on the other hand, not only regards Francois as an elderly figure worthy of respect due to friendship ties with his father but refers to him as "uncle", an adoptive role soon to be tested by an ever raging need to relate in highly improbable ways unbeknown to an oblivious Christian . However, we get the sense that Christian honestly looked up to Francois as an additional father figure source. The platonic dealings slowly eats away at Francois as he repeatedly insists Christian refer to him by his name in order to detract from the connecting familiar upbringing which seems to awkwardly remind Francois to hold back on his planned intentions. Effective scheming leads to the an extremely troubling conclusion based on a number of deliberate choices and sequential actions meant to pander to the vile objectives to be executed. Upon the enforcement of his plans, François realizes the results are now irreversible. The damage is done and permanent. The post mutilating events leads to reparations that will ultimately render Francois unrepentant and numb to an uneven arrangement. The brilliance of this story falls within the mix bag of emotions this film emits. The film is beautifully haunting as it unfolds, yet extremely ugly. "Beauty" is a cinematic gem worthy of attention because it will illicit a variety of strong and deep long lasting reactions. It will encourage dialogue with other viewers immediately after watching regarding its many unanswered questions of what could have been.

As with all things in life, not all people will like the same thing, and even though I tend to go for the more provocative/controversial types of movies, this one is a true shocker.From a cinematography, script, acting, etc. viewpoint this is not bad at all, but what does upset me, is that this is sold as a "suppressed" homosexual man in the context of conservative white Afrikaner culture. But after watching this, it is glaringly obvious that the main character is clearly a case study in severely disturbed/pathological behaviour. Lots of people suppress their homosexuality, but how likely is it that they will resort to stalking, obsessing, and RAPE, with maybe an hint of paedophilia (Christian could have been his SON)? And what's with the farmers orgy? I really don't want to sound naive, but as Afrikaner, this is so implausible that it is almost comical. Free State farmers, sitting around for a slap and tickle one afternoon? HUH?? We have enough problems in the Afrikaner community (especially in rural farming communities as depicted in the movie) with gay people being judged as being child molesters and godless deviants, and this movie sure as hell does not help to enlighten anyone. And to make it even worse, we are led to believe that after all the drama, everything just settles down and no word is ever spoken about it ever again? Not exactly a movie with a social conscience.

There seems to be a misapprehension about this movie and is key to understanding it. Francois is not in fact a blood uncle. In the opening wedding scene Christian says something ( I can't remember his actual words) which establish that. The opening scene shows Francois transfixed by a vision of a young man known to him last as a boy before the two families lost touch. If he were a REAL uncle, how likely is it that he doesn't already know what he looks like? This changes the whole dynamic of the movie and makes his actions at the later beach scene easier to understand. This movie is very good, but not an easy watch, but I feel that viewers need to know the above, (a point which even a few commercial reviewers got wrong) in order to appreciate its merits.