I felt like I had to leap to the defence of Beautiful Creatures' after what everyone had been saying about it. I made it my film of the month in my college magazine film pages. I loved it! I think that not only is it a great British film but a great film full stop. I know it only survived two weeks and was slated by the critics. I think perhaps lots of people were put off by the director's claims of it's dark humour and general shockingness whereas in reality (or unless I am unknowingly deeply psychologically disturbed) it wasn't all that bad. It does deserve it's certificate rating though, I wouldn't go that far.
I found it a welcome antidote to the recent deluge of lad's gangster/thriller flicks. It was fresh and much freer than any of those films. With good reason it has been compared to Thelma and Louise' but as far as I can see it has more in common with the Wachowski brothers' Bound'. Susan Lynch and Rachel Weisz were excellent. Their characters of Dorothy and Petula never came close to being your stereotypical man's-eye women. This reversal on the general way of gangster/thriller films was great stuff. The film was unapologetically British, the very British sense of humour was one of it's best points. Americans do not spare our feelings with their cruel characterisations of British people - why do our films have to America-friendly?
I think it's a shame no-one really gave a chance cos far as I'm concerned you've missed out on one of the warmest, funniest and most realistic films.
