WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
With a weekend that boasts two major new releases that quite effectively cover both ends of the spectrum audience and content-wise, OneFilmFan.com first presents the review of Disney Picture’s live-action imagining of the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella”.
Given life by veteran actor/director Kenneth Branagh, the story unfolds from the beginning as we initially see the child, Ella (Eloise Webb), under the care of her birth parents (Ben Chaplin & Haley Atwell) living a blessed, carefree life. But, when sudden tragedy claims her mother, Ella’s father is left alone to raise her. Now a young woman, Ella (Lily James) receives news her father has found a new companion, a Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her two daughters Drisella (Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger). When illness claims her father, Ella is left in the “care” of the three, who turn her into an indentured servant for their amusement. A chance meeting in the woods with a charismatic man, unbeknownst to Ella, the Prince (Richard Madden), turns both of their worlds around. Soon, the Prince is set on seeing her again, calling for a kingdom-wide Ball to choose a bride at the behest of his father, the King (Derek Jacobi). Thanks to the intervention of her Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter), Ella attends the Ball and sets events in motion that will forever impact her life as well as set in motion a devious plan to keep her and the Prince forever apart by those who would seek greed and self-ambition rather than courage and kindness.
With a wonderful cast, equally wonderful direction, and the lush visuals/cinematography (the “dress-creating” scene is rich and ethereal in itself and the Ball sequence is excellent) all brought together, Disney has once again proved why they remain the undisputed champion of bringing these fairy tales to vivid, magical existence. Coming off the success of another live-action adaption via last Summer’s “Maleficent“, the classic tale of Cinderella is genuinely moving, fantastically real in its execution, and just the fantasy escape that is so welcome now and then. Lily James is a complete gem, as her bright smile and wide-eyed innocence infused in this portrayal is hard to resist falling in love with. Additional kudos have to be given to the excellence of Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother, and through not by far a stretch for her as an actress, she still successfully creates a character we love to hate. Bonham Carter, for such brief screen time, more than makes the most of it in quite hilarious fashion! Solid turns by Madden, Jacobi, Nonzo Anozie, and Stellan Skarsgard round out the picture, and another Disney trademark, the emotion-inducing soundtrack, make this version of Cinderella a truly worthwhile experience. An additional treat associated with the film is the pre-show Short Film, “Frozen Fever“, giving us the whimsical, yet pathos-filled, big screen return of Elsa and company from Disney’s 2013 mega-hit. Filled with so many amazing moments, let your heart be warmed, believe in a little magic, and simply relax and enjoy this elegant and powerful “Cinderella”.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
