Review: Cinderella
I was as sceptical as anyone about Disney’s live-action remake of 1950’s Cinderella, especially as early trailers and marketing made it look like a shot-for-shot retread that just does away with the animation. It’s more of a re-imagining, though, and it’s a surprisingly wonderful update too. It puts a modern slant on proceedings while also treating its story with an incredible earnestness that skips any predictable cynicism in favour of highlighting the value of kindness in the face of adversity.
You know the story, or you think you do. The small ways that this version changes things shows just how little needs to be altered to make something so much better. Cinderella is patient enough at the start to take the time to build its central characters, so that the background of Ella (Lily James) and her relationship to her parents can form the backbone of the story. Her mother teaches her to always be kind, and watching Ella persevere while also struggling but succeeding to forgive those most cruel to her is what lends the film some serious weight and emotional power.
Taking the poorly developed characters from the original animation and delving into who they are is what makes this film work. Of course, it’s difficult to make the wicked stepmother (Cate Blanchett) anything other than that, but the lack of logic behind her actions makes her more of a spiteful force than a real person, and the way she’s presented shows that even she doesn’t understand why she’s so evil. And the prince (Richard Madden) is also well drawn. He gets a name — Kit — beyond “Prince Charming”, even if it may be a nickname from his father (Derek Jacobi). His relationship to his dad even has an unexpectedly moving emotional weight to it too.
The slight reshaping of the story creates a world in which both Kit and Ella are trying to find freedom from the rigid structures that trap them. She’s effectively made a slave by her stepmother, but won’t give up on her belief that if she just continues to be kind and courageous things will work out. And Kit is ashamed of what she’ll think of him and his royal heritage when they first meet. He has been told to marry “for advantage”, even if he’d rather marry someone he loves. It creates a great deal of dramatic tension by the time we get to the beats we know, and they’re handled with care and attention by director Kenneth Branagh.
The director’s sensitive and heartfelt approach to the story is one of the main reasons Cinderella is being deservedly praised. And it helps that Chris Weitz has written a great screenplay to go with it. The actors are impressive too. James brings a delightful energy and optimism to Ella that never seems like naivety. Madden is as charming as his character is meant to be too, although that’s more because the prince is someone that is eager to learn about the best way to be a ruler rather than showing any pompous presumptuousness.
Cinderella feels like an antidote to the irony of so many current films aimed at kids. It truly believes in the power of being a good person and trusting that others have the capacity to be good too. There’s not even a hint of doubt about this in Branagh’s presentation of the story. Everything else just fits into place, whether it’s the exquisitely-designed costumes, the lovely handling of colour (watch for how Ella’s colours are softer but draw more attention than the garish shades of her stepfamily), the playful dialogue, or the well-judged score from Patrick Doyle. I’m surprised by just how much Cinderella has won me over, but it really is quite a remarkable film — and to say that I like it a lot more than the original is something of an understatement.
Cinderella is in cinemas now
