140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Typically well-made live-action update of classic fairy tale is aggressively ok. Far too long for little ones to sit still – parents, too…
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Cinderella:
Disney has my admiration when it comes to milking a cow. They really do not miss a single trick. Not only did they strike pure gold with their strategy of mining old fairy tales for most of their early film classics, they’re now getting a second bite at the apple by remaking all of their old hits in live action. They could frankly make movies forever without ever having to write a single story. As I’ve noted before in my review of Maleficent, I quite expect that they plan just that…
So if the idea here is to update all of the old kids animated movies for the kids of today, why is this so long? With attention spans getting shorter, why are films going in the opposite direction when it comes to run-times?
It only took 74 minutes for Walt Disney’s animation team to spirit us through the Cinderella story, and it had 6 songs – not one of which is repeated here (although I did hear one in the end credits). I don’t understand what on earth made the filmmakers responsible for the update feel that this version merited another 40 minutes. 112 minutes is far too long for kids to sit still, so who are you making this film for?
The intended audience of the film is the puzzle that stuck with me through the whole picture. Despite the serious matter inherent in the death of the titular character’s parents, it’s not a particularly dark tale. To the credit of the filmmakers, they didn’t ramp up the action or danger or anything like that. That suggests a younger target market – fair enough. But why then is it so talky and epic and repetitive?
The screenplay by Chris Weitz plays it extremely safe, but that’s not really a bad thing. There are missed opportunities and maddening decisions, sure. (Including the tale about asking the father to bring home the first branch he sees is great, but not if you don’t show the tree planted for her mother. Also, if you insist on making this picture so long, why excise the business of the ball lasting three nights and having three dresses?) But at least he didn’t try to hit the LOTR-y with unnecessary villains and battle scenes, or placing the heroes in great danger.
Similarly, although the acting is quite good, the actors are seldom given any real room to create something new. Most noteworthy, as you might expect, is Cate Blanchett. She turns in a predictably great performance as the wicked stepmother Lady Tremaine, and in adding a hint of subtle suggestion that the woman’s actions are driven by a sad backstory gets just enough opportunity to let you see how much better of a character you’re not going to be getting. This is a real missed opportunity to make this character slightly less one-dimensional.
Most of the characters are fairly milquetoast, so any added embellishments do little to distinguish them, but they are fine performances nonetheless. Lily James is perfectly suited to the role of Cinderella, and her interactions with her dead mother & father walking (Hayley Atwell & Ben Chaplin, respectively) are lovely and earnest if a touch heavy on the treacle.
Helena Bonham Carter kind of phones in her turn as the Fairy Godmother. Her casting was actually probably a good call, but the whole sequence seems extraordinarily rote and hurried. The picture has a lot of pacing problems, with certain scenes overstaying their welcome, but you wouldn’t have expected the only magical portion of the story to have been directed as though the pumpkin coach was double-parked. This is the best part of the story for kids!
I noted with interest that they actually added some significant interaction between the King (Derek Jacobi) and Prince Charming (Richard Madden), allowing them to express familial love. It’s fine, but the cynic in me was accutely aware that this may be Disney’s attempt at a Frozen / Maleficent moment for males.
That leads me to the conundrum that Disney has created with these films. As an audience member, you have now been trained to expect a “hook” or a surprising twist. Watching these Disney updates has become an exercise not unlike going to a Christopher Nolan or M. Night Shaymalan film – no matter how much you may be enjoying the picture, you are distracted the whole time wondering what third act surprise they’re going to drop on you. I find I can only really enjoy these films upon a second viewing, when I’m no longer focused on what they’re planning next. Similarly, I spent the entirety of Cinderella wondering if they were going to pull some metaphorical play like having the slipper not fit but the prince realizes that Cinderella fits in his heart or some similar drivel.
Another aside; I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were a lot of meetings at the studio about how the depiction of Cinderella in Into the Woods was going to differ from this picture. I strongly suspect that Branagh was instructed to play it straight and not go for the darker parts of the original tale since that ground would be covered by the studio’s other picture. Oh, and by the way Branagh? You’re slumming, pal…
The picture is absolutely gorgeous. The set design, the costumes, the photography – it’s all superb. In some ways it’s like the Oscar-bait films that are always nominated but never seriously considered. You only get partial credit for succeeding with these films; they’re supposed to be gorgeous…
So, after that overlong review – was it any good? I suppose so. Despite my stated ambivalence about the overlong runtime and surfeit of humor, the kids in the theater seemed to go for it. Most of the adults looked bored – I sure was – but my daughter loved it. So, mission accomplished, I guess…
Oh, and the cynical decision to throw a Frozen short at the beginning of the film to increase ticket sales paid off big time. The picture had a smash opening weekend, and I’m certain half of the ticket sales are due to the inclusion of Frozen Fever (which was cute, if slight). It certainly ensured our attendance at a picture that looked a little underwhelming. Well played, mouse…
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: B (8 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Lily James Cinderella, Cate Blanchett Stepmother, Richard Madden Prince, Helena Bonham Carter Fairy Godmother |
| Rating | PG |
| Release Date | Fri 13 Mar 2015 UTC |
| Director | Kenneth Branagh |
| Genres | Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance |
| Plot | When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 112 |
| Tagline | Midnight is just the beginning. |
| Writers | Chris Weitz (screenplay) |
| Year | 2015 |
