Movie Reviews - Cinderella (2015)

I have made no secret of the fact that I love fairy tales. I am pessimistic a lot of the time in my real life, so I find it comforting in my writing and entertainment choices to break out of that a little bit. Besides, ya know, magic. I like magic. Normally when I think about my favorite fairy tales, Cinderella isn't the first that come to mind. Usually I think of Beauty and the Beast (Holy Christ on a Bicycle, Emma Watson is playing Belle in the remake, squee!) or Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent is a BAMF), but this movie has me reconsidering that.

Don't get me wrong, Cinderella is a fine story. It has so many versions, some of which are grimdark, and some of which are super hopeful, that there is a version for any person in any mood. But that's exactly the issue: there are so many versions. The story has been retold so many times that everyone knows it. That's true with all of the Disney Fairy Tales, really, but with Cinderella it feels different. For a version to really stand out, it has to feel true to intention, but still do something new, and that's pretty much what this movie does.

This movie is pretty much the standard Disney story, with a few minor differences. First, and most important, we actually get to meet Cinderella's (called Ella at this point) mom and dad! This is something that I've always wanted to see, and it pays off. Her father is sweet and loving, and her mother (played by Agent Freakin' Carter!) is steadfast in her belief that everyone's life should be filled with a little magic. She encourages Ella to talk to the animals, and it is because of this that the animals come to understand her and become her friends. It is Ella's mother who teaches her to believe in Fairy Godmothers. Most importantly, though, it is Ella's mother her imparts the Uncle Ben-level wisdom bomb on her daughter on her death bed. It is the mantra that the movie runs on. Ella's mother believes that everyone should have courage and be kind, and she lives that mentality even as she passes on. As a response to this, Ella dedicates herself to living the same way.

Things, however, are not all good. Left alone, Ella's traveling merchant father decides to marry a woman who he has met in his travels. An aristocrat whose husband recently passed, she and her daughters have no resources by which to keep living, and they need him. This woman, however, only ever sees this marriage as a means to an end, and while she hopes that Ella's father might love her, she sees the truth: that he still loves his late wife and his daughter more. So when he dies on the road, this woman takes her frustrations out on Ella, turning her into Cinderella.

Is it just me or is this starting to sound too much like a superhero origin story? I'll try to tone it down a bit.

To save costs, the new house matron fires the staff and allocates their duties to Cinderella. Her vacuous daughters are too caught up in themselves to care, and it becomes clear pretty early on that they are victims of their upbringing. It is also made clear pretty early on that Cinderella only stays at her family home by choice. She is a capable young woman, and she could find a new life for herself, but she loves her family home, and her animal friends, and so she does as her mother said. She has the courage to stay in squallier and the kindness to serve.

Then she meets the prince, called Kit. They meet in the woods on horseback completely by chance, and they have an instant connection, which intrigues Kit, because Cinderella doesn't even know who he is, so she can't be trying to win his favor. He is enamored with her, so when his father, who is terminally ill, declares that he must wed, he agrees that they may throw him a ball, at which he will choose a bride, but that every young woman in the kingdom must be invited.

From here everything plays out like you would expect, and everything is handled brilliantly! Everyone plays their roles perfectly and beautifully. Even though they only share a few scenes, you can feel the palpable chemistry between Kit and Ella. You understand why the step sisters are the way they are. You can even understand why the step mother is the way she is. Even when she schemes against Cinderella finding her happy ending in favor of her own, you can still understand her, and so it helps to make it believable that Ella doesn't seem to blame her either. Even after all that her step mother has done, Ella still shows kindness and, while she doesn't quite say that all is forgiven, you can see that Ella harbors no ill will. And needless to say, Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother is spot on, delightful, and a highlight of the entire spectacle.

The sets and costumes and the score were all magical and immersive and complimented everything perfectly. The castle was spectacular, the king was so well-acted and his relationship with his son so believable that, after only a couple of short scenes, his death brought tears to the eyes of the entire audience. And the dance choreography. Just-just wow.

I don't think I need to come right out and say it, but I really enjoyed this movie. I honestly can't think of a single thing about this movie that I didn't like. I don't think it was perfect. A few of the CG effects were a little overdone and obvious, but not nearly as heinous as in other modern live action kids movies, so I mostly give it a pass. Not to mention that one of those CG effects was Gus Gus, and he's freakin' adorable, so ya know. If it isn't obvious yet, I give this movie the very high 9 out of 10 and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys such things. So have courage, be kind, go see this movie, and come back later for another review.