Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Idris Elba, Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley, Sharlto Copley, Liyabuya Gongo, Martin Munro, Daniel Hadebe, Thapelo Sebogodi, Chris Langa, Mduduzi Mavimbela, Chris Gxalaba, Kazi Khuboni, Tafara Nyatsanza, Ronald Mikwanazi, Naledi Mogadime, Thabo Rametsi.
A film that divides is prosperous indeed, and whilst Beast is not the greatest film of all time, what it lacks in agility and convincing CGI/acting, it more than makes up for in its environmental message. A film that produces empathy and disgust at the actions of a part of humanity driven by destruction, deserves more praise than it has received so far.
Beast brings the despicable act of poaching into full view, the sheer senselessness of destroying another sentient being purely for profit, for greed, and in many cases for sport, the appeal of having an animal’s head mounted and placed on your wall as if you were a creature of immense stature that you can take a life just because the money is worth your humanity.
A film of two positions, one in which the writing, if not for the sense of truth it seeks to address feels clumsy, forced, and uneventful, and in which the effect of the lion as it chases down those that have slaughtered its family is more akin to animalistic version of Death Wish, is countered by the drama of the rampage and the non-sentimental way in which punishment of poachers is dealt with; and whilst it would be wrong to advocate such retribution against such evil, the film gives it the reason to offer sympathy to those who feel the law does not go far enough in dealing with the problem.
The lion, despite the CGI, is king, the sense of ferocity overshadows the intention, and whilst Idris Elba is considered the star of a film that deals with disfunction and alienation in the shadow of death created by the loss of his wife, it is perhaps to Sharlto Copley that the film has its finest moments, especially as his character, Martin Battles, understands in the final moments just how much something you love can still find a way to kill you, and the portrayal of such is testament to the actor as every emotion is poured out of each acting sinew and muscle.
A film that deals with dichotomy of experience, one in which the biting message overpowers the production by a margin; whether you watch it and comprehend the reason why is up for debate, but it certainly frames a narrative with greater expediency than you might realise.
Ferocious in its moral message, unrepentant in its delivery, the Beast is not meant to be sexy, it is meant to teach a valuable lesson, and on that score, it finds its target with astonishing accuracy.
Ian D. Hall