Review of Cinderella 2015 Full Movie

Review of Cinderella 2015 Full Movie: After the death of her father, Ella (Lily James) is treated horribly by her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett). But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger named Kit (Richard Madden) and a visit from an eccentric fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) is set to change her fortune.

Although the prospect of retelling one of the most retold stories of all time while also living in the shadow of the iconic 1950 animated classic seems like an impossible task in a Shrek dominated world. But Kenneth Branagh, fresh from his background of directing several Shakespeare films and future Rogue One writer Chris Weitz manage to combine several elements from the original Charles Perrault tale, the Disney film, the Roger and Hammerstein musical and oddly enough, A Cinderella Story to attempt to create a version that could be defined as the definitive Cinderella film and although it sometimes doesn't work, one cannot deny this impressive feat.

What doesn't work is Lily James's overly passive take on the character, even by the character's sarcastic, yet kind portrayal in the animated film, some forced callbacks to the animated film and the Fairy Godmother scene, while Helena Bonham Carter gives her all into the role, is a bit too comedic for one of the most iconic scenes in the story. However as usual for a Kenneth Branagh film, the production design of the kingdom and the costumes are incredibly cinematic in scope and the impressive cinematography makes the world seem massive and beautiful.

But the best improvement is the character development of the Prince himself, with his relationship with Ella being incredibly cute, especially with his subplot of having to deal with both his father (Derek Jacobi) dying and having to deal with demanding relatives echoing Ella's own situation and although she isn't as frightening as the animated version, Cate Blanchett's more complicated characterisation of Lady Tremaine is quite interesting and her speech towards Ella when she finds the slipper has genuinely unsettling implications about her past.

Overall, not all of the changes work and the subplot involving Tremaine and an evil version of the Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgard) is completely unnecessary, the 2015 Cinderella is a most charming new take on the fairytale that doesn't have to rely on the animated film's nostalgia to leave its own impact.

They had their chance to excel at creating fine details and utilize them well, just as Disney does but this one was a complete swing and a miss. Cinderella obviously has a good concept and storyline with enough material to feed the audience for around 100 minutes which was ruined by loose writing and direction on petty and childish things and rely completely on the actor's performance for the character development which shows the lack of responsibility behind the stage. Kenneth Branagh seems distracted as always for he focuses on his younger audience and leaves out witty and complex things that he could have easily approached for. The lead cast is not capable to carry on herself a scene let along the whole movie resulting into weak performances no matter how hard the supporting cast may try, it just wouldn't factor in. Cinderella lacks a better caretaker, smart writing, a good performance and acting skills to make it up to the major league.

After nearly 65 years, Disney decided to tackle the challenge of recreating an archaic classic: Cinderella. For decades, Cinderella has been an epitome of grace and delicacy, and this orphan-turned-princess was a symbol that no one had successfully recreated. When the 2015 remake was announced, skeptics everywhere were afraid that the timeless classic would be marred with a revisionist remake that didn't? quite make the cut. I suppose if you keep your expectations low, you?ll never be disappointed. And moviegoers were anything but disappointed with Cinderella. 

The movie begins with a cheerful, enchanting peek into Cinderella? childhood, something that was sorely missed in the original movie. Young Ella (Eloise Webb), (before her stepsisters added the Cinder- prefix) has an endearing relationship with her mother (a blonde Hayley Atwell), and her father (Ben Chaplin). She lives the perfect life, skipping through flowery meadows and befriending the local wildlife. In typical fairytale fashion, Ella?s mother falls ill with a nameless disease and dies without much explanation. The last words that Ella?s mother speaks to her daughter (in Hayley Atwell?s lovely British accent) are? Have courage, and be kind.? This becomes Ella?s attitude towards the struggles in her life. Ella is devastated, but her father fares even worse. In a desperate attempt to find happiness again, he remarries a wealthy widow several years after his wife?s death. Teenage Ella (now played by Lily James), with all kindness and grace, supports her father, though it breaks her heart. 

Ella?s new mother, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), has two daughters, and they could not be more unrefined, impolite, and dimwitted; exactly the opposite of Ella. Tragically, soon after the marriage, Ella?s father dies while away on a business trip, leaving Ella in the care of her? Evil Stepmother? and so on and so forth. The storyline refreshingly stays true to the plot we all know so well, with only a few minor changes. 

Unlike in the classic, there are no wonderful moments in which Ella or anyone else burst out in song, although a few times the movie seems to almost itch for a choreographed, synchronized number. The mice not only don?t sing, they don?t talk, which adds a bit more maturity and grown-up-ness to the movie. It seems as if Director Kenneth Branagh tried a little too hard not to make it a musical. Honestly, I did find myself wishing for a few of the originals to make their appearance, like A Dream, Is a Wish, Cinderelly, or Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. 

And that segues us to the subject of the Fairy Godmother. In the classic, she was an endearing, forgetful, sweet lady who we all wanted as our grandma. In a flurry of sparkles and fluff, Helena Bonham Carter appears as the busty, sequined, unpredictable fairy godmother. The entire scene almost feels like a celebrity cameo, and the conversation between Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother has a completely different tone than the rest of the movie. With a flourish of her wand and a wave of her manicured hand, Fairy Godmother creates a dress that is breathtaking enough to make you quickly forget about the bad casting. Cinderella?s dress is an elegantly royal ball gown that seems to be 50 different shades of blue all at once. It was enough to make all of the girls and women alike all gasp in the theatre. Every girl dreams to be able to dress up like a princess once in their life, and for many, it is as close as they can get to watch Cinderella get whisked off to the ball in a golden carriage. 

The ball is a beautifully choreographed conglomeration of gowns and suits dancing in perfect formation. The interactions between Kit and Ella are tender and beautiful, enough to satisfy every hopeless romantic. Here, we are introduced to a bit of political intrigue, which was added in just the right amount not to confuse children but enough to entertain teens and adults. Cinderella escapes from the ball before midnight and makes it back home with the iconic single glass slipper.

Lady Tremaine figures out what Cinderella has done, and we discover that even the Evil Stepmother can have a heartbreaking motivation behind her cruelty. For a moment, we even struggle with feeling pity for her, then she cruelly locks Cinderella in the attic to hide her from the prince and we again see her as only the Evil Stepmother. There are no mice to bring Cinderella the key to her door, this time the birds come to her rescue. 

Cinderella and the prince meet again in a tear-jerking moment at the end of the movie that warms the heart and captures everyone?s attention. Again, Cinderella?s sweetness and kindness hold everyone captive and steal the heart of everyone watching. I could not applaud Lily James enough for her performance, truly, she was completely perfect for this role. 

With a message that transcends time and a story that touches everyone?s heart, this remake blows expectations out of the water and recreates a story so simple yet so beautiful. In a time when feminist revisionist movies are taking over the theatres, it was refreshing to see a classic in which the female lead was strong, yet gentle, and brave, yet kind. She was beautiful inside and out, just like a princess is supposed to be. Above all, Cinderella retained the messages and themes that made the original so appealing, and with a little help of modern technology, revived a classic. Truly everyone, no matter how young or old, enjoys a well-told fairy tale.