Ataraxia
The trailer prepared us for an extraordinary movie, and with a cast like this, we were expecting an out-of-this-world experience. Tim Burton’s gamble on the sequel to the very famous Beetlejuice is a winning one. With Jenna Ortega playing Astrid, Lydia’s daughter, Monica Bellucci as the new character Dolores, Michael Keaton reprising his iconic role alongside his two former co-stars Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, as Lydia and Delia Deetz respectively. And if the trailer already dazzled us, the film itself is just extraordinary.
Michael Keaton has donned his checkered suit again and slipped back into the skin of his Beetlejuice character. And as incredible as it may seem, his performance is just as good, if not better, than the first time. The ghost’s quirky humor remains central, and his reactions are hilarious. This time, we not only get Beetlejuice still infatuated with Lydia (even though we know the marriage is only to bring Beetlejuice back from the dead), but we also meet Beetlejuice’s new enemy in town: his ex-wife Dolores. Brace yourselves because she is no pushover. Just as outrageous as Beetlejuice, Dolores is anything but nice. A soul eater, she takes the life of anyone she wants by sucking out their soul. However, we take a particular interest in Dolores — she’s a badass in her black wedding dress, played by the fantastic Monica Bellucci, and she allows us to learn how our favorite trickster died. Yes, by watching this film, you’ll discover the continuation of Beetlejuice’s adventures but also some elements of his past, like how he died.
And what can we say about Winona? Seeing her on screen is a dark delight for all our senses. Portraying her role to perfection and hardly having aged at all, Lydia Deetz is simply fantastic and embarks on a wild adventure in the world of the dead this time. Desperate to find her daughter, she calls on Beetlejuice for help. The problem? Well, it’s Beetlejuice, of course — he’ll only help under one condition: marry Lydia. Except this time, to make sure, he has her sign a contract. How will Lydia escape the land of the dead? Will she be able to find her beloved daughter, Astrid? And above all, will she marry her (very annoying) fiancé, or Beetlejuice (who has her tied down with a contract)?
As for Catherine O’Hara, she slips into her character with as much confidence as possible and delivers a crazy performance, with a Delia that’s even more… Delia than before. How can one define this particularly complex woman? This time, Delia doesn’t stop at sculptures; she delves deeper into her vision and conception of art through more intense performances, paintings, videos, and human works where she herself becomes part of the act, allowing herself to be painted on directly. During her tragic mourning, she even drapes the house in a black shroud as a representation of grief, filming herself to turn the house into a temple capturing the perception of mourning in a very artistic way. Be wary of the lengths Delia is willing to go for her art, as representing grief can prove dangerous… even deadly.
Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. What can we say about the actress who gets grander with each of her films? She takes on the role of Astrid, Lydia’s daughter, and becomes a true Deetz. She immerses herself in each of her characters with so much talent that it’s almost impossible to remember that it’s a fictional movie. But Astrid is unlike the other characters Jenna has played, and even though Astrid’s very sarcastic nature might vaguely remind us of Wednesday, deep down, Astrid is carrying a great, open wound left by the death of her father. And how unfair is it to have a mother who can see all the ghosts around her but is unable to see the one person Astrid longs to see: her dad. So Astrid wages war against her mother, getting caught in a closed-off and very complicated relationship. In the end, what proof does Astrid have that her mother is telling the truth and that the ghosts are real?
When Astrid meets Jeremie, he finally becomes her escape from the weird and the macabre. He doesn’t judge her for her family; he listens to her and even invites her to his place on Halloween night. Except when he turns out to be a ghost who offers Astrid a chance to see her deceased father again, she jumps at the opportunity and enters the world of the dead with only one thought in mind: to see her father. But can Jeremie really be trusted? Who is he really? And will Astrid ever be able to leave the land of the dead?
So many questions posed by this Beetlejuice sequel. We do, however, lament the absence of the Maitlands — we would have loved to see them again, even for a brief moment. That being said, the small mention of them warms our hearts and reminds us of our tender affection for this ghost couple who have truly earned their eternal rest.
Enough about the plot, let’s talk about the film’s aesthetics. As you might expect with Tim Burton, the visuals are nothing short of incredible. Once again, Tim Burton delivers a superb production. In fact, the director challenged himself to use as few special effects as possible. He built over 70 sets, employed many makeup artists, including those specialized in film effects, and created numerous costumes for this extraordinary film. The result is clear — the sets are particularly stunning, and the images on screen immediately gain more depth. It was a spectacular creation that was more than successful, leaving us with yet another divine and incredible film that I’m sure will become one of the cinema’s cult classics.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, if you haven’t seen it yet, is a must-see this year, and you should rush to watch it because I believe it will quickly become one of your favorite films. Especially with Halloween season approaching, there’s no better time than now to enjoy some Tim Burton and ghostly fun. This film, filled with humor and extraordinary moments, delivers an incredibly successful experience. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hints at the possibility of a third film, depending on the directors’ decision, and if they grant us one, beware of the next title — you wouldn’t want to summon the terrifying Beetle…
One day, maybe, he will manage to marry his dear Lydia. Until then, we’re off to watch it again, and despite all the great things about this film, I have just one last thing to say: Goodbye Bob, you were sadly the only one who gave everything for Beetlejuice, even your own life. We will never forget you.
