Nocturne by Alyssa Wees is a haunting story about one young woman and a mysterious benefactor which changes her life. Grace Dragotta grew up in Chicago’s Little Sicily and dreamed of becoming a ballerina. After losing her family, she finds herself orphaned and without a home. She chooses the North Ballet Company as her home and begins to imagine her life center stage. As the Great Depression is in full swing, Grace becomes the company’s new prima ballerina. Soon she attracts the attention of the mysterious and secretive Master La Rosa as her personal patron and she will learn the world is far greater than she ever realized. Who is Master La Rosa? What does he want from Grace? As she begins to learn about her patron, she discovers there is another way to find the excellence she desires.
I don’t know anything about ballet but Nocturne has it all. It has a mysterious patron a la The Phantom of the Opera, a deal a la Beauty and the Beast and a mix of legends and myths woven into a magical story. As I started the story, it was hard to get into it; however, once I truly sat down to read the story opened up and I couldn’t put it down. The story flowed from the pages and would not let me go. I needed to find out who Master La Rosa was, who his equally mysterious assistant, Mr. Russo was and what role did Grace play within the mystery. It was beautifully lyrical with hauntingly detailed imagery. The beautiful cover drew me in and the story kept me there until the very last page. I highly recommend Nocturne.
Nocturne is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook
When Disney announced a live action version of the 1991
animated hit, Beauty and the Beast, I
was excited. I was even more excited to see Emma Watson as Belle.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see it in theaters. Now that the move is on
Blu-ray and DVD, I eagerly checked it out. The movie was beautifully done. It
is not a word for word, scene for scene remake. It is a stunning homage to the
beloved animated film while being its own film. The cast and the music were
amazing. Alan Menken returns with new wonderful music. The film wasn’t without
its critics though.
First, the cast fit their characters. The entire cast was
wonderful. They made the characters their own without trying to copy or imitate
the original cast which they shouldn’t try to do in the first place. Emma
Watson had Belle’s spunk and uniqueness which helped her stand out in her tiny
village. Dan Stevens as the Beast had his ferociousness as well as his vulnerability.
I enjoyed Dan Stevens’ Beast much more than Robby Benson’s Beast. I’m not
really sure how to explain the difference, maybe it was Stevens’ growl or maybe
his British accent added a flair that Benson’s voice could not. Ewan McGregor
as the playful Lumiere was great and Ian McKellen was perfect as the uptight
Cogsworth. Emma Thompson had Mrs. Potts’ motherly gentleness and Luke Evans had
Gaston’s vainness and cockiness. The movie even expands on Gaston’s cruelness
and his desire to do anything to get what he wants and thinks he deserves.
The music was wonderful as usual. There were three new
songs. “How does a moment last forever” which is sung by Maurice (played by
Kevin Kline) and later by Belle. The Beast has his own song, “Evermore.”
Lastly, “Days in the Sun,” a song the cast sings about life as humans before
the curse. It’s much better than the animated song “Human Again” which was kept
out of the original theatrical version and added to the special edition DVD
release. My favorite lyric was from
“Days in the Sun.” Belle sings it as she watches the staff hope and dream of
being human again. She sings “How in the midst of all this sorrow/Can so much
hope and love endure.” The Beast’s song is a powerful ballad as he releases
Belle from her captivity. He’s resolved to the fact that he loves Belle enough
to let her go, knowing it would mean being a beast forever. He laments that she
will remain in his heart forever. It’s a powerful moment in the movie.
No movie is without its critics especially a Disney classic
as beloved as Beauty and the Beast. One
major criticism is that the movie relied too much on the animated version. My
answer to this is: yes, it’s a live action version of the animated film.
However, if it was its own version of the classical tale, people who be
groaning and moaning about the missing elements of the original film. The movie
is so cherished by fans that no matter what some would have found fault with whatever
version they decided to make. Another criticism came from the controversy of
LeFou having a gay moment in the film. The way some people talked, you would
have thought it was very explicit. In the words of someone who saw the film in
the theaters, ‘blink and you will miss.” That is truly the case, if you weren’t
looking for it, you would have missed it. It is tiny, only seconds long, and
isn’t what I would call a gay moment.
I loved this movie. I’m just sorry that I wasn’t able to see
it in theaters. The cast was amazing. The music was outstanding. The new songs
fit and will move you. The DVD will sit proudly next to its predecessor on my
shelf. It is everything I wanted to see in a live action film of my favorite
Disney film and much more. I highly recommend you check out this version of Beauty and the Beast, if you haven’t
already done so.
