Review: ‘Cinderella’ is an enchanting retelling of a classic tale
Cinderella (Lily James) and Kit, aka Prince Charming (Richard Madden).(Walt Disney Pictures)
Marcus Goh is a former Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 112 minutes (~1.75 hours)
"Cinderella" is a live-action adaptation of the classic fairytale of a poor servant girl’s mistreatment and her journey to finding the prince of her dreams. It stars Lily James (Cinderella), Richard Madden (Prince Charming), Cate Blanchett (The Stepmother/Lady Tremaine), and Helena Bonham Carter (The Fairy Godmother).
"Cinderella" follows the same story beats and plot of Disney’s previous version of Cinderella — there’s no new twist or groundbreaking revelation about any of the characters. Surprisingly, it still manages to deliver a charming fairytale through strong storytelling, well thought-out explanations and characters, and a a world that interconnects all the elements of the original without compromising on the original’s style and vision.
Cinderella’s new dress. (Walt Disney Pictures)
Highlights
Intricate and colourful costumes
The elaborate costumes are a joy to look at -— especially since they’ve been designed with a theatre aesthetic in mind. The bright colours and rich details help cement this world as a fairytale one, and also provide you with a form of eye candy as you explore Cinderella’s universe.
Good pacing despite a familiar story
Virtually everyone knows the tale of Cinderella — any child can tell you this famous fairytale. Yet, even though you know what’s going to happen next, the pacing doesn’t lag and the story doesn’t bore. What it does is to expand on certain elements that were only mentioned in passing, rather than creating new events out of whole cloth. For this movie, the journey is more important than the destination.
More rounded characters
"Cinderella" turns a children’s fairytale into a story that relies more on character motivations than magic. It gives a stronger background for all the characters, making you realise that both Cinderella and Prince Charming share the same parental backgrounds, while giving the antagonist greater justification for her actions. It even sets up the appearance of the Fairy Godmother, rather than letting her pop out of the blue like the deus ex machina she is.
A wacky and spirited Fairy Godmother
Helena Bonham Carter’s performance as a slightly absent-minded but well meaning Fairy Godmother is what gives life to the middle of the movie, turning a standard and expected special effects sequence into a colourful journey of magic and wonder. Though her quirky Fairy Godmother only appears for that sequence, she’s still a strong presence for the rest of the film.
Cinderella and her Stepmother (Cate Blanchett). (Walt Disney Pictures)
Letdowns
Cinderella’s attic is larger than a HDB flat
Cinderella may be banished to the attic early in the story — but it’s a huge attic, larger than any HDB flat. With such a huge space for a house, it’s hard to pity Cinderella’s new living quarters. Fortunately, she spends most of her time in the basement kitchen instead, so we’re reminded less of the gigantic attic.
Cate Blanchett doesn’t fulfill her potential as the Stepmother
While Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of the Stepmother is a compelling one, she somehow doesn’t give the kind of gravitas that you’ll expect. She’s not evil enough for us to cheer her on, but neither is her back story tragic enough for us to empathise. It feels like she could have stolen the show as the Stepmother, but dialled down her performance so as not to overshadow Lily James.
Prince Charming. (Walt Disney Pictures)
"Cinderella" is truly a film for the family — it presents a well-known fairytale to a whole new generation of viewers while also giving interesting new information for more mature viewers who are familiar with the animated version. Indeed, the "Cinderella" of 2015 will most likely be remembered in the same vein as the "Cinderella" of 1950.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
"Cinderella" opens in cinemas 12 March, 2015 (Thursday).
