In watching
Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 live-action adaptation of the 1950 animated Disney film
and its 1697 source material by Charles Perrault, I found myself marveling at
some of the climactic moments of romance and magic. I had imagined that there
would be no surprises in the viewing experience, which was a faulty assumption
despite the fact that the greatest surprise was how easily I was swept up in
the grand visual spectacle of the romance. Perhaps it says something about the power
of nostalgia that the moments which affected me most were those that reminded
me of the animated classic, but I am still simply impressed that a curtsy could
be so magnificently executed that it caused me to rewind and re-watch.
Unnecessary as this film may have been, Cinderella
stands as the best in Disney’s slew of cash-grab live-action adaptations, free
from cynical updates or feminist revisionism.
With Branagh
handling the material with the same reverence and respect that he has often
given to his Shakespeare adaptations, Cinderella’s
strength comes from its sincerity. The performances are grounded in reality
while even the most magnificent visual spectacle feels restrained and elegant,
with costumes by three-time Oscar winner Sandy Powell elevating the romance to
heights that feel absolutely magical. These costumes would be nothing without
the actors wearing them, however, and Lily James is excellent as the kind and
courageous title princess, shining brightest while dressed in that iconic blue
dress. Just as marvelous is Cate Blanchett’s stylish portrayal of the evil
stepmother, embodying the poise of Joan Crawford rather than turning the
villain into a one-dimensional caricature. My only complaints about the
costuming came in the form of the prince’s impossibly tight-fitting pants,
which caused all sorts of problems for production and actor Richard Madden. It
made me uncomfortable just to watch.
There are plenty
of other actors who shine in supporting roles, though the extra padding to the
narrative adds in enough unnecessary scenes of these characters to feel
slightly bloated. The inclusion of a hammy performance by Rob Brydon as the
palace painter within a scene of dry exposition felt forced and out of place,
leaving me longing for more sequences of the silent CGI mice, or a quicker path
to the ballroom. Even Helena Bonham Carter was a bit too cartoonish as the
fairy godmother, mistakenly giving the type of over-the-top performance she
typically reserves for a Tim Burton film. Whereas Branagh was able to capture
the romance and magic with elegance and poise, the strained attempt to cram
childish humor into the narrative causes the filmmaker to stumble.
There was no need to make this film, beyond
Disney’s need to bleed their audience of as much money as possible, but that
doesn’t make the end product worthless. While this version is unlikely to
replace the animated film for many nostalgic viewers, it does provide the best
live action adaptation of the material yet. And even if I am justified in complaining
about the greedy corporation that is Disney, this is unlikely to affect the
appreciation of the film from young audience members seeing this tale on the
big screen for the first time. And part of me is just relieved that Ella was
not turned into a sword-wielding princess or forced to embody a feminist agenda
with a dismissal of romantic love. The message of kindness and courage may seem
passive to some, but I never found the heroine to appear weak in her
willingness to be forgiving and compassionate.
The Blu-ray
release seems almost a must for a film so visually stunning, if only to catch
the many nuances of that spectacular blue ballroom dress. Along with a DVD and
Digital HD copy of the film, the Blu-ray package comes with a handful of extras
that include 12 minutes of additional scenes and the theatrical short released
with the film, “Frozen Fever.” Among the additional scenes are more moments
from the childhood sequence for Cinderella, though this was the portion of the
film which already felt too heavily padded. There are also several featurettes
showing the tricks of the filmmaking process, as well as interviews with key
cast and crew members about the nostalgia of the narrative and difficulties
within the adaptation. One of the featurettes focuses on the creation of Ella’s
computer generated animal companions while another is about the construction of
the crucial ballroom sequence.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
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