5 times the new Cinderella movie was magical
During this year's annual "Girls' Weekend," we couldn't resist seeing a hyper-girlie film. Disney's live action Cinderella was the perfect movie to watch sans-husbands, and it turned out to be better and more magical than I expected.
5 times Cinderella was magical:
1. When the anthropomorphic animals were cute & funny -- not cheesy.
I didn't anticipate seeing "Gus Gus" the mouse or "Lucifer" the cat in the live action version of this tale -- it just seemed like it would be too cartoony. But if Thor taught me anything, it's that Kenneth Branagh's direction can transform the silly into the sublime, and Cinderella's cute animal friends were no exception.
2. When Rose from Downton Abbey and Rob Stark from Game of Thrones had great chemistry.
The Cinderella romance is usually not very believable -- a few hours of dancing when everyone is dressed to the nines and acting on their best behavior is not the best foundation for a marriage, even if the alternative is an arranged match. But this version has a believable meet-cute in which the characters reveal physical and intellectual chemistry. Bonus points: I always thought the part where the prince can't recognize Cinderella outside of a ballgown was stupid; in this version, other palace officials do most of the work of the mass-glass-slipper-fitting, so it doesn't look like the prince is a dummy. Extra bonus points: Rob Stark finally gets to be king.
3. When the film brought the cartoon to life frame by frame.
I loved all the references to the original cartoon in the scenes and costumes for this film. Here are only a few examples. See many more, here.
4. When my inner-late-nineties child squealed over Cinderella's dress.
It's covered in tiny butterflies and glitter, for crying out loud. It practically comes from the Delia's catalog -- if Delia's had a prom dress edition.
5. When flat characters 'magically' gained depth and motivation.
What happens when you pair Ken Branagh's classical sensibilities with amazing classically-trained actors like Derek Jacobi (The King) and Cate Blanchett (The Stepmother)? You get fantastic performances and more well-rounded characterizations of roles that usually end up in the 2-D land of stereotypes. (If it's not obvious by now, I have a Hermione-Granger-in-the-second-Harry-Potter-movie kind of crush on Kenneth Branagh.)
5 times Cinderella was magical:
1. When the anthropomorphic animals were cute & funny -- not cheesy.
I didn't anticipate seeing "Gus Gus" the mouse or "Lucifer" the cat in the live action version of this tale -- it just seemed like it would be too cartoony. But if Thor taught me anything, it's that Kenneth Branagh's direction can transform the silly into the sublime, and Cinderella's cute animal friends were no exception.
2. When Rose from Downton Abbey and Rob Stark from Game of Thrones had great chemistry.
The Cinderella romance is usually not very believable -- a few hours of dancing when everyone is dressed to the nines and acting on their best behavior is not the best foundation for a marriage, even if the alternative is an arranged match. But this version has a believable meet-cute in which the characters reveal physical and intellectual chemistry. Bonus points: I always thought the part where the prince can't recognize Cinderella outside of a ballgown was stupid; in this version, other palace officials do most of the work of the mass-glass-slipper-fitting, so it doesn't look like the prince is a dummy. Extra bonus points: Rob Stark finally gets to be king.
3. When the film brought the cartoon to life frame by frame.
I loved all the references to the original cartoon in the scenes and costumes for this film. Here are only a few examples. See many more, here.
4. When my inner-late-nineties child squealed over Cinderella's dress.
It's covered in tiny butterflies and glitter, for crying out loud. It practically comes from the Delia's catalog -- if Delia's had a prom dress edition.
5. When flat characters 'magically' gained depth and motivation.
What happens when you pair Ken Branagh's classical sensibilities with amazing classically-trained actors like Derek Jacobi (The King) and Cate Blanchett (The Stepmother)? You get fantastic performances and more well-rounded characterizations of roles that usually end up in the 2-D land of stereotypes. (If it's not obvious by now, I have a Hermione-Granger-in-the-second-Harry-Potter-movie kind of crush on Kenneth Branagh.)
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