Lucas Versantvoort / March 28, 2015
It’s a curious thing; a remake of one of the most well-known fairy tales
of all time. I doubt anyone’s going to see it expecting a gripping new
storyline. I’d seen Disney’s 1950 version, but to be honest, I never really
cared for it. I’ve always felt it lacked a certain…something. Maybe it was just
too bland. So, naturally, I went into the 2015 version with mixed expectations
to say the least. Fortunately for me, I found the end result to be incredibly
surprising and, most importantly, quite heartfelt.
I doubt a plot summary
is needed, but just for the sake of reviewing: Cinderella is a happy little
girl who lives with her mother and father. Instill in her, are (naturally)
virtues of innocence, kindness and courage. Her mother takes ill and dies however
and this changes her father. He tries to kindle a relationship with a certain
Lady Tremaine (aka The Wicked Stepmother) who turns out to be something of a cunt
mean, nasty woman. When Cinderella’s father unexpectedly dies during one of his
business trips, Lady Tremaine practically takes over the household and forces
Cinderella to do all the work. Cinderella of course, out of the kindness in her
heart, agrees and finds solace in the little pleasures in life. One day, however,
she’s had enough and flees with her horse. There she meets Prince Charming,
well, Kit, as he calls himself; he’s reluctant to reveal his identity as a
prince out of fear this will change her behavior towards him. The prince is
instantly smitten, not just by her looks, but (importantly) by her way of
thinking. They both return to their fortresses of solitude, where they endure
with what’s expected of them versus what their hearts truly desire: Cinderella
is eager to see Kit again and vice versa, but Kit’s expected to marry a
princess for the good of the kingdom. Then, Kit announces a ball where
everyone, both royalty and commoner, is invited. There, he will choose his
bride. Naturally, he ardently hopes the girl whose name he doesn’t know will be
there…
What I find most
heartwarming about Cinderella is the earnestness with which the story’s presented.
In a time where you can’t make a film without including the requisite winks and
nods à la Tarantino, it was very likely Cinderella
would be treated the same way; those annoying winks and nods through which the
director basically says ‘haha, I don’t truly believe in the story and I’m
hiding behind thinly veiled cynicism and references to show how clever I am.’ Thankfully,
director Kenneth Branagh and co decided to play it straight. They present the
story without cynicism, apart from that supplied by Lady Tremaine of course,
and in doing so create an experience that’s unexpectedly involving which is
especially impressive considering pretty much everyone knows this story like
the back of their hands.
It also helps that the
acting’s quite good, especially that of leading lady Lily James who truly
succeeds in conveying Cinderella’s innocence, kindness and courage. It’s also
nice to see that Robb Stark successfully fled Westeros and found a new kingdom
to lead. Seriously though, despite sporting teeth whiter than a Colgate
commercial, he adequately conveys the prince’s amazement and sheer wonder at
having discovered a girl who goes against the way things are, which of course
is what he subconsciously desires, to rebel against the rules enforced upon him
(marry for profit vs marry for love). And of course there’s the lovely Cate
Blanchett who gets to ham it up as the Wicked Stepmother, though the film does
allow her some room for nuance. Speaking of which…
Even more interesting
are the little changes in the narrative here and there. The two most
significant changes are the fleshing out of the stepmother and the addition of
politics. Rather than having the prince be some faceless nobody with a handful
of lines, the film fleshes out his situation a bit. We see how everyone around
him, including his father, pressures him to marry for the good of the kingdom.
This not only adds a layer of political intrigue, minor though it is, but it
allows us the opportunity to get to know the prince a little and cheer for his
success in reuniting with Cinderella. The stepmother is fleshed out as well.
Not significantly so, mind you, but just enough to suggest a tragic backstory. The
film occasionally hints at her reasons both for wanting to marry for wealth and
for despising Cinderella.
So yeah, I’d say Cinderella’s a massive success. I highly
doubt a live action version of the classic fairytale could’ve been executed any
better. Whether it’s the highly appropriate lack of musical numbers, the comic
relief which is quite good and not intrusive, Patrick Doyle’s score, the
acting, the more fleshed-out characters, it all works. Ironically, what I
remember most of the 1950 Cinderella
is how little I remember of it; this one, however, I think I’ll remember for
quite some time.
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