By Teri Bayus
“Have courage and be kind, because kindness is powerful and magical.” This is the kind of corny sentiment that can ruin a movie, but fortunately, Cinderella’s syrupy sweetness is so hopelessly romantic in its sincerity, it swept me off me feet, often tumbling me to tears.
It’s the kind of old-fashioned filmmaking we need, one that hearkens to the days when movies helped us forget our troubles instead of pointing them out. If you’ve seen any version of Cinderella, this one is not that different. I would take a small child who has not seen the story and watch it thru their eyes.
This new story of Cinderella is about Ella’s mother (Hayley Atwell), who dies but Ella’s father (Ben Chaplin) remarries.
In order to please him, she does everything to open herself up to the new family. But when her father dies suddenly, her stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and sisters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger) waste no time in turning her into their servant, rechristening her Cinderella (Lily James), as she is always covered in ashes after cleaning.
Even with the cruel treatment, she lives by her mother’s words to have courage and treat everyone kindly. A chance encounter in the forest turns her life around and even the meddling of her wicked stepmother cannot stop her destiny.
James portrays an endearing innocent and kind Cinderella. Blanchett played the gorgeously attired and mean-to-the-core evil stepmother so well that I actually hated her more than the original. She redefined evil for Disney, with her character being the biggest and worst villain on film.
It is a Disney flick so it has the requisite make you cry, then make you giggle hysterical scenes and lots of homage to other princesses. If you pay attention during the ballroom dance scene, you will notice many of the dresses are designed on the dresses of various Disney princesses. You can spot Belle, Tiana, Aurora, Snow White, Mulan and Ariel.
This film marks Kenneth Branagh’s first collaboration with Walt Disney Pictures. Branagh also directed Thor (2011), which was distributed by Paramount Pictures, but subsequently re-branded as a Disney film.
This fantasy romance for adolescents doesn’t mix well with Branagh’s Shakespearean-minded aesthetic, which insists upon heavier themes and more mature visuals than what Disney generally leans toward.
It’s almost as strange a pairing as Tim Burton and Disney for Alice in Wonderland. Here, grotesquely happy frolics in sunny fields shift into tear-jerking deaths of loved ones. Leading to merciless enslavement and the dour responsibilities of arranged marriages. Some of the heartfelt drama is definitely poignant, but it weighs unevenly on the gooey romance.
However. the biggest strengths of this movie are the special effects, costumes, and makeup. Cinderella is filled to the brim with fireworks, scenery, and magical spells of light that will make you feel you are in Disneyworld.
While the effects pulled me in, the costumes and makeup were what kept me impressed. The beautiful gowns and dresses were crafted to match the personalities of our characters in both color and flare factor.
It is a fairytale retold in a strange and wonderful way. It is worth watching on the big screen.
Teri Bayus can be reached at: or follow her writings and ramblings at: www.teribayus.com. Bayus also the hosts, Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Cable Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.