I have followed this young actor's career since she was cast as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies and I must say I am quite flummoxed by the lack of criticism her inability to act seems to bring about. I cringe every time she is on screen. She seems to be quite intelligent and hard working; I can tell that she really tries.
She just does not have it. She keeps raising her eyebrows with every other word that she says; hyperventilates repeatedly and speaks in a shrill, bossy, exasperated voice. Her range is so stilted and limited. She appears so obviously uncomfortable in her body its painful to watch.
Now when I heard she was cast as Belle, my heart sank. Belle is beautiful, smart and a Disney Princess! This poor girl will never be able to bring all of that onto the screen. It will be a mess.
I thought this review was spot on:
"Emma Watson is the real headliner here, and physically couldn’t have been more perfectly cast. But someone really should have screen-tested her before she signed on — with an actual green screen. There are actors who can conjure up a world around them on a blank soundstage and make us believe in it just with their eyes; Watson is not one of those actors. Watching her sing to the hills during the re-creation of the iconic “Belle (Reprise)” or wander through the ominous ruins of the castle’s west wing (not that one) I found myself distracted, wondering where she thought she was walking when she filmed it, what she thought she was looking at. Her singing voice could stand to add a little oomph, but it’s the least of the problems in a performance that mostly adds up as a collection of charming poses and furrowed eyebrows. But boy, does she look the part."
http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-movie-review.html
And just for LOLs:
http://www.crushable.com/2014/03/28/entertainment/emma-watson-bad-actor-other-career-choices/