Beautiful Creatures (2000)

Yes, but what about giving the male actors more credit?

Normally I don't like "darkly comic thrillers" like "Beautiful Creatures", but I bought this one because Iain Glen (Tony) was listed in the credits right underneath Susan Lynch (Dorothy) and Rachel Weisz (Petula). His is the first voice you hear in the movie when the credits are showing, and continues into the first scene, where he is arguing with Dorothy on the train about his missing golf clubs.

Iain Glen plays Dorothy's boyfriend, and his portrayal of Tony, as one of the most "revolting/drug- addicted/whacked-out/weirdest/bizarre" men I never hope to meet, was one of the funniest parts of the movie.

One of the best scenes in the movie is "Her Boyfriend's Back" where Tony meets Dorothy's new friend Petula. Tony and Dorothy's dog "Pluto", which they say is 50% acrylic, is also involved in this scene. It also involves one of Tony's guns, a pair of his briefs, and a necktie. I still laugh every time I think of that scene, because I have never seen anything quite like it. It's hard to imagine a scene both so frightening and hilarious at the same time. Dorothy's husband, Tony, seems to the creepiest character of all in this entire movie.

Petula's boyfriend, Brian McMinn, is caught being so abusive that he threatens Petula's life, and Dorothy (accidentally?) kills him. Petula's brother-in-law, Ronnie McMinn, is also a very scary guy. The look on his face alone would frighten you.

Petula and Dorothy set-up a ransom for Petula's abusive husband (who just happens to be dead already) with Petula's brother-in-law. The ransom also involves a slimy and corupt detective inspector, who insists on helping, so he can steal part of the ransom for himself. He also creeps into Petula's home one night because he is so taken with her beauty.

In almost the last scene, Petula's brother-in-law runs in to some "gun" problems with the slimy detective inspector who tries to kill him. This scene brings all the main characters together, including the dead husband. What a way to start the ending of the movie, "with a bang". How on earth did these females ever end up with these boyfriends? It is both scary and also looney!

If you like comic thrillers, you just might like this movie. I know I laughed a lot during and after watching it! June 30, 2008

Humorous, startling and entertaining film

Two beautiful women meet by chance when one is being throttled by her boyfriend in an alley. The other also suffering an abusive relationship picks up a pipe to aid the woman and accidentally kills the man. The women concoct a kidnapping to cover up the murder but nothing goes as planned in this dark Comedy of Errors meets Thelma and Louise; except with a happier ending... at least for the women. It is a humorous, startling and entertaining film with a lot of evil men who like to threaten, control and abuse women. The women are meek and compliant in the beginning but really come into their own by the end. May 31, 2007

Like a celluloid `little baby nothing'

Rachel Weisz's vulnerable intensity steals almost every scene and is loaded with pathos. As with Jude Law in `The Talented Mr. Ripley', the assumption that every character and viewer will fall slightly in love with her is the crux of the film, and because of her performance its justified. 'Beautiful Creatures' is set against a shattered urban backdrop that is oppressive in its ugliness, and Weisz's beauty offers a powerful contrast to this, and consequently creates a powerful bond between her and the audience which causes the viewer to be rooting for her as she tries to fight off the onslaught of male aggression. There is a disturbing undercurrent of sexual violence in the film, and the possibility of her being somehow violated is returned to with alarming frequency. You can't help but feel caught up in her plight and constantly rooting for some kind of revenge on the male perpetrators. I'm not sure if there was a feminist agenda to the script- the notion that pornography leads to violence is also revisited. The presentation of the male actors was extremely thought provoking and powerful. Although the ending might seem obvious, I felt it was satisfying and it broke the mould of many postmodern films which leave the ends untied in order to retain an air of mystery. July 9, 2006

A Great Dark Comedy And Ms. Weisz Is So HOT!!!

This movie is about two women who are caught in bad relationships until certain events occure to free them of their domestic shackles. These two ladies might be abused by their men but are in no way "Profesional Victims' as so many women in Hollywood movies are portrayed.Ms. Weisz is beautiful as always and has a very sexy English accent and a great flair for comedy which is why I give this movie 5 stars. September 24, 2005

Sans Brad Pitt--still the better film

Two young women, one exceptionally beautiful, are involved with highly abusive men. They seem unable to extract themselves from these indiviual violent relationships until events pull them apart. In spite of the violence, this is actually a darkly humorous movie, laugh out loud, and well worth seeing. There are no decent men in this picture, all are twisted or corrupt and violent. That is too bad. A sense of balance here would have been better.The acting is very good and the background of Glasgow is a pleasant change. There is a Thelma and Louise quality to it without the attributes of Brad Pitt. That said, this is the better film. April 25, 2005

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