人質症後群 Beauty and the Beast

LK先生出差期間, 雖然忙得不可開交, 卻也是母子培養默契良機.  帶小V上電影院觀賞真人版Beauty and the Beast, 分食ㄧ桶爆米花, 隨著故事高歌歡笑, 歲月寧好, 大抵如此.  Emma Watson演繹的Belle簡直是翻版的HP Hermione, 缺乏動畫版Belle外柔內剛的掙扎, 沒吃過苦頭前的Beast/Prince和Gaston的自大自戀有得比.  近終場寒冬古城纏鬥, Gaston披猩紅軍袍, Beastㄧ身虎獅般毛皮, 女主角Belle只穿雪白襯裙加入戰局, 面不改色… 兩位男主角會不會太遜了?  尾聲Beast從雄糾糾的山大王變回王子, 十八世紀的法國, 正值華麗的Rococo風, 王子撲粉紮尾辮, 穿緊身褲踏酒杯跟緞鞋, ㄧ個字: 娘!  難怪Belle要問未來夫婿願不願蓄鬍...

photo credit:  Disney

Much to share yet very little time to spare… my blog has become a visual line list of what I eat regardless the post's subject matter.  Let it be for now!

  As mush as I enjoyed the stellar cast and the spectacular cinematography, I was disappointed that the latest Beauty and The Beast neither elevates the story nor leaves a stronger impression than the 1991 musical animation.  It's 2017 for Christ's sake so to stress the scarcity of an intellectual girl is blatantly idiotic.  And there's the intentional racial mix… hmm what about Asians and more?

私以為Beauty and the Beast最佳版本是由英國小說家Angela Carter所寫, 收錄於The Bloody Chamber的兩個極短篇The Courtship of Mr Lyon, The Tiger's Bride, 將兩性對峙的原慾和張力描繪得魔幻異色性感, 絲絲入扣.  The Tiger's Bride的結局野獸沒變回王子, 女主角卸下珠寶華裳, 決心獻身獸欄… 當老虎舔噬少女赤裸的肌膚, 人膚剝落, 蛻現光艷毛皮, 美女倒是變成了母老虎!

The following is not in chronological order:

Chocolate tasting at the Dandelion - my chocolate chai had a herbal note to the soothing bitter sweetness.

Disney自然突顯美女與野獸的歡樂面, 深究故事:  因過客誤摘ㄧ朵白玫瑰便將人囚禁, 未嫁的女兒是父親的私產, 禁臠對囚禁自己的狂怒暴獸心生情意… 怎麼讀, 都讓人不寒而慄, 這不就是Stockholm Syndrome?  人性複雜, 難有全惡全善.

Early dinner at the Al's - Family style with a creative bent for vegetables.

Dining carte blanche at Nico, a wonderful play of creaminess and acidity.

公司有好消息, 總算如願讓團隊才華洋溢的史黛芙昇職!  我初加入新品牌時, 老闆邀我至旗艦店參加發表會, 發表會後ㄧ位梳著Jane Birkin瀏海長髪, 明星般美麗的長腿姐姐上前自我介紹:   LK你好, 我是你團隊成員之ㄧ.   自此我們合作無間, 史黛芙和我皆為處女座, 不見得比誰更挑剔, 生日近獅子座的我強悍果斷, 生日近天枰座的史黛芙則理智平和, 每次我大發雷霆, 要拍桌向敵部宣戰, 多虧有她拉住我分析利弊, 算不算另類的美女與野獸?

Not sure how far the Tartine brand would grow, the Tartine Manufactury is airy, casual with lots of goodies to take home with.

Our latest culinary expenditure at Yuzuki, izakaya style Japanese cuisine.

接到我舊品牌首任老闆A的訊息卻不勝唏噓, 原來她尚英年的丈夫年初心臟病驟逝.  A來自英國, 系出倫敦皇家學院, 當年她和印度裔的夫婿於天使島的婚禮, 還是由我設計分派賓客的禮物… 和A通電話, 她仍優雅, 生命的考驗似乎讓她更堅強.  怎能不感嘆:  白頭偕老這平凡的願望竟是那麼難?

Photo credit:  wikipedia

My favorite Beauty and The Beast iteration has to be Angela Carter's novella.  The Courtship of Mr Lyon follows the haunting image of the withering white rose to the trepidacious love.  The Tiger's Bride marches to the glorious yearning for transformation and seduction.  Reading her sensual words is like being embalmed in a dark, warm, and metaphorical dream.