'Cinderella' Review

In a famous review for the immortal horror classic 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', cult-film critic Rex Reed stated that the film "accomplishes everything it sets out to do with brilliance". That's always been a philosophy of mine when reviewing a film. Regardless of what I think of a certain genre, or my lack of interest in a movie's star, I believe a good film is one that accomplishes everything it sets out to do with brilliance. While I'm in no way comparing Tobe Hooper's 1974 slasher gem to Kenneth Branagh's latest adaption of a classic child's fairy tale, the quote from Rex Reed kept being repeated in my head while watching Disney's new 'Cinderella'. It sets out to be a lavish retelling of the classic story with a very old-school 'technicolor' vibe, and it accomplishes it quite brilliantly at times. 

There's really no need to summarize the plot of 'Cinderella'. To quote another Disney film, it truly is a tale as old as time and director Kenneth Branagh ('Henry V', 'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein', 'Hamlet', 'Thor') nor screenwriter Chris Weitz ('Antz', 'About a Boy', 'The Golden Compass' and the upcoming 'Star Wars: Rogue One') really try diverging too much from the structure of Disney's 1950 animated classic. Yet, that isn't really a problem, in fact it's one of the things I loved about this adaption. Judging by the mixed bag that was 2010's 'Alice in Wonderland', the horrible mess that was last Summer's 'Maleficent' or the mediocre stage-to-film adaption that was 'Into the Woods', it's strangely refreshing to see Disney make a live-action remake that doesn't feel embarrassed by its source material and embraces it whole-heartedly. Granted, there are a few small elements that are added, but none of them feel too out of place, and some are arguably for the better. One sequence establishes a relationship between Ella and the prince before the events of the ball, which makes their relationship seem a lot more convincing.

The performances in 'Cinderella' are all fine, but the true standouts are newcomer Lily James as our titular female lead and Richard Madden of 'Game of Thrones' fame as the prince. They have wonderful chemistry together and some of their conversations break the mold of usual fairy tale romances. They understand each other as people and it's not all based on looks. We also get time with Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother along with her daughters who are always mocking Ella. These sequences are sometimes fun, but one of my tiny nitpicks is that they didn't quite stand out as much as I expected them too, especially when someone as talented as Blanchett is at the helm. Surprisingly, the sequences that I enjoyed the most revolve around the kingdom's politics and an unexpected father/son dynamic between the lead prince and the king. Branagh has filmed a handful of Shakespeare adaptions, and many of them are based around relationships of the father and son, and he continues that tradition with this film. One sequence leading into the third act between these two characters is immensely genuine and touching. It can surprisingly get many audience members choked up.

'Cinderella's true stars are its cinematographers, production designers and the hundreds working in the wardrobe department. Even though I might not be an avid-watcher of these kinds of films, there's no denying that when they're done right, I truly admire the craftsmanship. 'Cinderella' is a film that I admire immensely on a technical level. The sweeping camera, the elegant costumes, the lavish sets and the extremely bright colors that feel like something from a technicolor film right out of Hollywood's golden age. Some moments are truly breathtaking. When Cinderella opens the gargantuan door to the massive ballroom set, the camera slowly pans up from behind her back and leans over the bannister filling up every inch of the screen with the countless extras, vivid colors and extravagant chandeliers. In this digital age, it's rare that I can be really taken by a movie's set design. In fact, one of the other small quibbles I had with the film are some of the CGI based landscape shots that are used here and there. While none of them are terribly distracting, it does take away from the retro Disney magic that is so apparent throughout. 

I'm sure 'Cinderella' is a hard sell for some. It's nothing entirely new, it's definitely targeted towards the female demographic, there aren't any musical sequences and it won't change how you look at the story in years to come. Yet, in the end it's such a well-made film that none of that really matters. I found myself smiling the whole way through which is exactly what you want from a great Disney flick.

Grade:A-

P.S. If you're still on the fence about this one, just remember that there's a 'Frozen' short right before the film starts.

You like 'Frozen' don't you?

Well, alright then!

Review by: Josh McCormack