Film Review | Cinderella

Ella was a normal girl who grew up on the outskirts of a small kingdom. When fate dealt her several blows, she simply lived by two things that her mother taught her – courage and kindness. As fate’s twisted hands began to choke the life out of her, courage and kindness became harder to live by; fortunately, fate was not too unkind. With a small release, fate gave Ella (Lily James) a moment of peace as she her small world collides with that of an apprentice named Kit (Richard Madden). Regardless of her misfortunes, this was one moment in which magic had no role, but rather courage and kindness working hand-in-hand.

The Story

As enchanting as the moment it was brought to life with the words, “Once upon a time,” this latest adaptation by Disney is no different to their 1950 classic. Following the elements of their original animation and fairytale, we meet Ella, her evil stepmother (Cate Blanchett), her metaphorically ugly step-sisters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger) and of course, her handsome prince.

The only change we see in this retelling is the uncanny meeting of Ella and her prince. Yes, they still meet at the ball, but that meeting was more like a first date. Without “pumpkins, lizards and things,” we see our beloved Cinderella runaway from her stepfamily for a little while, only to see her charm her soon-to-be prince charming out of killing a prized stag.  Taken aback by her courage to speak to the heir of the throne, the prince cheekily decides to conceal his identity and introduce himself as Kit.

Irrespective of their true initial meeting and their true identities, this new addition to the Disney classic does not fail to relay that true love really does exist regardless of the circumstances. It is as enchanting as it is breathtaking.

The Cast

Lily James is a stunning Cinderella. She is graceful and elegant, which makes it easy for anyone to mistake her for a princess by the time she walks into the ball. There’s a gentleness to her acting and a consistency to her delivery of every line she utters. Her chemistry with Richard Madden so tangible that you’ll have goose bumps the moment they reunite at the ball.

Richard Madden is as charming as he is endearing. There’s a sense of playfulness to his manner and he truly brings to life a character that we first meet with a yawn – I don’t mean he’s boring, in the Disney animation the first close-up we get of the prince is of him yawning. Madden is captivating and brilliantly supports James as they fall-in love on screen.

Cate Blanchette is devilishly fabulous in her portrayal of Lady Tremaine. Heartbroken and spiteful about how her second marriage panned out, Lady Tremaine is this year’s most realistically relatable villain. Cold to the core, Blanchette’s depiction is as nerve racking as the winter’s first icy kiss.

Overall, Cinderella is a brilliant adaptation of a beloved fairytale and animated classic. My hat comes off to Disney Pictures, along with Kenneth Branagh and Chris Weitz for their revival of one if the most retold tale of all time. I can’t wait to see the next few classics being retold in live-action.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Next on sL: The Duff

Film Review | Maleficent

We’re all familiar with the story; we all know how it goes. Once upon a time a princes gifted with grace and beauty is trapped with a curse to sleep for all eternity. A jealous witch is at the foot of the damned castle, determined to prolong her curse until the end of time. With only truelove’s kiss to save the princess, the impenetrable wall of thorns is not the only barrier for anyone who dares to break the spell cast by Maleficent.

But what if such a tale was simply a fragment of the truth? What if the story was not at all as we have been told?

The Story

This adaptation of Charles Perrault’s, The Sleeping Beauty, takes a different turn by titling it, Maleficent, rather than Disney’s first adaptation with the original title. Like many retellings of beloved fairytales, many writers like to take from a different point of view, and writer, Linda Woodverton, has done just that.

Woodverton gives a deeper meaning to Maleficent’s jealous rage, while simultaneously recreating a villain that is more relatable than the one we were introduced to in the animation back in 1959. This version sees Malifecent’s childhood and ascent to power, while also portraying King Stefan just as vicious as the dragon that we’ve read and seen in the original tale.

The story has Aurora sitting idle rather than being the centre of attention. She becomes leverage for both ends, and is the soul key to the humanity that Maleficent lacks in the animated feature. With the princess sitting as the film’s damsel in distress rather than the token heroine, the concept of “truelove” is questioned.

Since the success of Disney’s new direction (story and concept wise) initiated in Tangled, which continues here with Maleficent, it’s an exciting time for fairytales that we thought we knew and loved. I can’t wait to see what Disney will do with their upcoming Cinderella.

The Cast

Angelina Jolie is magnificent in this film. She embodies Maleficent in such away that gives the character a repulsing, yet relatable compulsion that leaves you curious and jaded. She allows audiences to feel what she’s feeling and even carries a hint of humour every now and again. In one word, Jolie is: compelling.

Sharlto Copley similarly portrays a different Stefan as we see his greedy assent to the throne. With a retelling where the villain is unclear, Copley brought a madness to the character that truly allowed you to never really connect with him from beginning to end. He was brilliant in capturing the tortured nature of a king under threat.

Elle Fanning’s portrayal of a beloved princess was brilliant. She was perfect for the role in the sense that she not only looked sixteen, but she also had the liveliness and optimism that comes with youth and innocence. Through her we see the purity of humanity and imagination that Maleficent and Stefan lose in their adulthood.

Sam Riley’s unlikely character addition is a brilliant new take on Maleficent’s beloved pet. Diaval is Maleficent’s raven who gains a central role in this retelling. Riley character becomes a source of wisdom and hope for Jolie’s character. He balances and supports her well and is never overshadowed. Here, Diaval is Maleficent’s best friend rather than just her pet.

Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Juno Temple play the pixies who guard Aurora. In this adaptation, they’re mainly the source of comic relief. They’re dynamics is amusing and they worked well as a trio who are giddy, submissive and, well, down right stupid.

Aussie, Brenton Thwaites, lands the role of Prince Phillip, who is also an added comic relief in this film. Although he and Fanning did have an uncanny chemistry, it’s unfortunate that he doesn’t have the central role that the animated Phillip had back in 1959. Nevertheless, he did a brilliant job portraying a realistic sixteen-year-old who is just as unsure about truelove as any one in this entire film.

Graphics and Special Effects

I have to talk about the brilliant portrayal of The Moors – a.k.a. Maleficent’s kingdom – in this film. When you’re creating a fantasyland, such as The Moors, it is imperative that you create a land that is both familiar and mind blowing. The special and visual effects teams need to pat themselves on the back and win an Oscar for bringing The Moors to life. The characters and riches that reside in such a magical place are worth the human envy that this film dwells upon – it is beautifully enchanting.

***

Overall, I am loving Disney’s current movement away from the typical love stories that their past animations have portrayed. It’s been a slow, yet stead progression that I’ve loved watching since I was a little girl. If you love their TV series, Once Upon A Time, you’ll LOVE this film. Like Aurora’s curiosity over the spinning wheel, entice your curiosity and prick you sense with an enchanting retelling of epic proportions.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★★

Next on sL: The Fault In Our Stars

FILM REVIEW | Monsters University

Twelve years ago we were introduced to Sulley (John Goodman), Mike (Billy Cristal) and Randle (Steve Buscemi), Monsters Incorporated’s best scarers (and coach) when it comes to generating energy for Monstropolis.

Twelve years later and we’ve travelled back in time to see how Mike, Sulley and Randle became the people we were introduced to twelve years ago.

Welcome to Monsters University – the Ivy League for monsters everywhere!

Think Mean Girls in terms of introductions…you’ve got your Jocks, Goths, Cheerleaders, Art Freaks and the worst…the ‘OKs’ – the Oozma Kappa Brothers.

The Story

If you were fourteen and younger when Monsters Inc. came onto the screen in 2001, then Monsters University is written for you! Back then it was a story about our childhood fears of monsters under our beds and a film that explained to us why our screams were important to the monster world. Now it’s about their college years as we make our own college experiences.

I love that it’s a twist in the internal relationships between the characters that we were introduced to in 2001. It’s still got the heart of friendship, teamwork and friendly competition that Monsters Inc. had, but this time we have the back story and understand how Mike and Sulley became the friends that we were introduced to twelve years ago.

Monsters University was not just written as a new childhood film for this generation, it’s a film for those who remember what their childhood was when we first met the Monsters Inc. crew. We grew up with them and, through Monsters University, we are reliving their memories through our realities today.

The Cast

The Original Cast

Reprising their roles, Billy Cristal (Mike), John Goodman (Sulley) and Steve Buscemi (Randle) bring their characters to life by shedding twelve years off their age. Bringing high hopes, first day jitters and that freshmen confidence, these three recognisable voices bring a familiarity to a see of fresh voices that bring Monsters University to life. Although they’re our beloved voices, it’s great to hear a different side to each of the characters that we fell in-love with twelve years ago.

New Comers

Helen Mirren (Dean Hardscrabble) joins the cast with an overbearing tone that just chills the bones – perfect for a dragon-slash-centipede like monster with the highest know record in scaring history!

Peter Sohn (Squishy), Joel Murray (Don), Will and Grace’s, Sean Hayes (Terri), Dave Foley (Terry) and Charlie Day (Art) bring to life the Oozma Kappa fraternity who come along side Sulley and Mike. The differences between all of these characters would have been nothing without the incredible voices behind the brightly coloured monsters of the OK Brothers. Providing the comic relief and even the touching moments in the film, this band of brothers were an exciting addition to the Monsters Inc. pact.

Castle’s, Nathan Fillion also joins the crew in lending his voice to Roar Omega Roar’s fraternity president, “Johnny”. Every film needs a tough guy and Johnny is the toughest of them all. Fillion did a brilliant job bringing “Johnny-big-man-on-campus” to life in a way that allows audiences to hate him and love him all at once.

The Art Department – Animating The College Experience

Disney Pixar wowed us with their eclectic mix of monsters twelve years ago and they’ve wowed us again with the variety of monsters twelve years later. I think the great thing with a project that allows a lot more imagination like Monsters Inc. and Monsters University, you have a clean slate every time you create a new character.

It was important for the animators to really capture the different characteristics of each fraternity in not just their individual looks, but also in how they come together as a collection. On top of that, creating several other monsters who weren’t fraternity monsters! I was a big task, and a task well executed by the animators.

OVERALL:

It’s a great movie for ALL generations. Kids of today will love the thrill of the story and fall in love with the characters. Those of us who fell in love with Monsters Inc. will relate even more with the characters we met in 2001 and appreciate a film written for us. Although it’s very American in terms of the college display, its universal elements of friendship, growing up and what the future looks like brought a heart-warming and nostalgic aspect to the film. Don’t miss it!

sL Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

Next on sL: Man of Steel