REVIEW: Cinderella

Courtesy of Disney

I don’t blame you for thinking we don’t need a new live-action take on Cinderella. Heck, I agreed before last weekend. I’ve never been a big fan of Disney’s animated version, so the lackluster trailer for director Kenneth Branagh’s update did nothing to change my mind. But I’ve got a four-year-old daughter and the movie includes a cute new animated short featuring the Frozen characters. There was no way I could skip it and still keep my “good dad” credentials.

I’m happy to admit my initial assessment was wrong. I judged a book by its cover. The latest interpretation of the fairy tale is an absolute delight on every level, thanks to Branagh’s solid choices, Chris Weitz’s screenplay, the charming performances and gorgeous costumes.

Most importantly, though, this version actually puts the title character in charge of her own destiny, rather than portraying her as a damsel in need of rescuing. As with Tangled and Frozen, I continue to be impressed with Disney’s insistence on correcting its problematic history with female characters.

From a plotting perspective, nothing that happens in Branagh and Weitz’s Cinderella will shock you. On a basic level, everything plays out just like you remember. The magic lies in how they tell the story.

Ella (Lily James) isn’t a blank canvas that the movie happens around. Instead, she’s a young woman whose life is significantly impacted by two devastating losses. First, her lovely mother (Hayley Atwell, terrific in a brief role) dies after a sudden illness, leaving Ella with the charge to “have courage and be kind.”

Then the same fate befalls her gracious father (Ben Chaplin) while he’s traveling, but not before he marries Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett, gleefully chewing all kinds of scenery), a manipulative widow looking to find a new home for her atrocious daughters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger). A more cynical viewer might point out this comes as a direct result of following his late wife’s advice, but the movie anticipates this line of reasoning. Ella’s philosophy is that we can only be responsible for our own actions; how other people respond is up to them.

In other words, karma is real and it’s best to stay on its good side. That’s what keeps Ella going in the months following her father’s death, when she essentially becomes her monstrous step-family’s servant because she insists on remaining in the home she shared with her loving parents.

Even after the horrible women bestow her with the titular nickname, she doesn’t retaliate and she doesn’t despair. She believes that her mother’s dying words hold truth. It’s a fantastic representation of having faith even when life seems hopeless.

When that hope finally does appear, in Ella’s fateful encounter with the prince (Richard Madden), Branagh and Weitz play the meeting beautifully by providing a tiny, smart twist. The prince pretends to be an apprentice who lives in the castle because he doesn’t want her to stop being herself around him. It puts Ella and Kit (the prince has a nickname too, another sly turn) on an equal playing field of minor, ultimately harmless, deception: they’re both smitten, but they’re also both afraid of humiliation if they reveal their true selves.

Kit turns out to be her equal in other ways. He’s also uncomfortable with the way his life is shaped by outside forces. In his case, it’s his father (the great Derek Jacobi) insisting that he marry for political power rather than love. It’s tough to ignore your dad’s rules, but it’s even harder when he’s the king.

As you can see, slightly altering the story’s character beats, while still remaining on a familiar path, can do wonders for a story that already felt tired decades ago. It doesn’t take a drastic reinvention of a tale – the dreadful Snow White and the Huntsman or Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, for example – to make it modern. Simply treat all the characters as real people and watch what happens.

It’s not magic, just common sense. Even the motivations of a character like Blanchett’s Lady Tremaine seem more logical through that prism. Yes, she’s a scheming social climber. But it still hurts when she overhears her new husband and stepdaughter whisper that they’ll never love her as much as the woman they lost. Even if you’re a wicked stepmother, that’s got to be a kick in the gut.

Of course, this only works because of the strength of the cast and crew. I’ve gushed over Branagh and Weitz enough already, so let’s focus on the actors. Before now, I wasn’t familiar with James (I’ve been told she’s good on Downton Abbey and Wrath of the Titans was instantly forgettable, so I’m taking IMDb’s word that she was in it) but I’m a fan now. She’s terrific as Ella, bringing such strength and confidence to the role that I instantly forgot about the dead-eyed cartoon version.

Madden is also good, providing an air of nobility to Kit without going overboard into arrogance. I was hesitant about Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, since she’s typically the go-to actress for dark, brooding roles. But she goes a different way with the character than I would’ve expected, making her a fine source of ditzy comic relief.

In case you couldn’t tell, Disney’s latest take on Cinderella has turned me into a true believer. I highly recommend it, especially if you’ve got young daughters or granddaughters. It’s pure spectacle, meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible. It’s playing in IMAX at Arbor Place Mall, and I bet it’s worth the higher ticket price.

Cinderella is rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Grade: B+