Every few years or so, the powers-that-be in the entertainment business decide we need another version of Cinderella. In the past 15 years alone we’ve had the “Cinderella Story” film franchise, “Ever After,” the film and novel “Ella Enchanted” and a gently modernized Broadway version of the 1957 musical.
But the one people most strongly associate with the fairy tale is Disney’s classic 1950 animated film. Given the story’s fame and Disney’s recent penchant for revisiting classic tales with big movie stars and lots of special effects (like “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Maleficent” and “Alice in Wonderland”), it comes as no surprise that they chose to remake the tale in live action.
What’s unusual is that Disney is playing it safe this time. The previously mentioned films took risks, telling a story that’s only a shadow of the original, but “Cinderella” mostly sticks to the original plot. In fact, the first trailer summarized the whole story, basically telling audiences that there would be no surprises or major postmodern twists.
In playing it safe, however, Disney actually plays it perfectly. Knowing that everyone is all-too-familiar with the story, they simply enhanced it, making it such a delight that it’s enough to convince even those weary of modern fairy tale adaptations that, yes, we did need another “Cinderella.”
The magic of this adaptation is in the details given to its characters. As charming as the original film is, it leaves audiences with a lot of questions. Why wasn’t the prince going after Cinderella himself? What was Cinderella’s mother like? Why exactly did her father marry such a horrible person? The new film answers these questions and more by focusing on the characters. Instead of long sequences with talking mice, this version gives us dialogue, narration and lingering close ups that move the story seamlessly from scene to scene, enriching the familiar plot points and showing the humanity in the story.
All this would be nothing without great acting, which is another reason to love “Cinderella.” Rising “Downton Abbey” star Lily James plays Cinderella to sweet perfection. Living her mother’s entreaty to “have courage and be kind,” Cinderella always looks at the bright side, loves deeply and always thinks of others before herself. To play a humble character without making her seem pathetic is quite a task and James delivers brilliantly. She infuses Cinderella with endearing gentleness and classic elegance, and she’s naturally radiant in every scene.
The supporting characters are excellent as well, and Helena Bonham Carter as the quirky fairy godmother is a special treat. But the two standouts are “Game of Thrones” star Richard Madden as the prince and Cate Blanchett as the infamous stepmother Lady Tremaine. Madden steps beyond the often one-dimensional Prince Charming stock character, giving the prince spirit and actual guts. This prince learns from Cinderella and becomes a better man and monarch because of her, and Madden portrays the prince’s humility and fear not only with effortless charm but also with true humanity and sincerity. Blanchett is so superb in her role that she doesn’t even need to say anything to show us what the stepmother is thinking. Each of her vocal inflections and nuanced expressions are studied yet natural, telling us everything we need to know about Lady Tremaine’s feelings and motivations. She’s still the villain we love to hate, but now she is human with her own fears, pain and back story, making us just a little sorry that she chose the path of hatred over the path of goodness Cinderella chooses.
With such amazing characters and performances, everything else is icing on the cake. The visuals are lush, enchanting and magical. The kingdom truly comes out of a fairy tale book with detailed villages and a sumptuous palace. Each setting has so much detail that the kingdom feels like a real place one can visit. Every color sparkles with a vibrancy almost like fire, from the golden carriage and opulent glass slippers to the glitter in Cinderella’s ball gown. This is especially evident in the magnificent costumes.
Undergirding the story is Patrick Doyle’s lovely score. It’s sweeping and grand but doesn’t overreach or needlessly dramatize the simplicity of the story. He doesn’t use any of the musical motifs from the original songs, a good choice that separates this version from its animated counterpart and transports us to this new world.
Director Kenneth Branagh pulled out all the stops for “Cinderella.” He enhances and lengthens some of the classic scenes we know and love without drawing them out, and he adds to the well-known characters’ personalities and motivations, helping us to understand them more. The result is refreshingly classic but not old-fashioned, sweet but not saccharine, romantic but not unconvincingly obsessed with infatuation. By some magic, it retells the beloved tale without retreading it and running it to the ground. In short, it’s a ball with no magical curfew.
