This remake of both a classic fairy tale and an animated Disney film is just Disney's latest move to retell those old stories. As far as an adaptation, Kenneth Branagh manages to create a film that is very true to its obvious inspiration. There are some misses that could have made the film truly great, but overall this version of Cinderella is enough to satisfy those who grew up with the animated film and also attract a new, younger audience.
Unlike Snow White and the Huntsman and Malificent, this retelling lacks that darker, grittier element. If you were hoping for a remake completely true to the original story (foot binding and toe amputation included), keep looking. This version is much closer to the 1998 film Ever After, where Cinderella inspires her prince to rethink the status quo while still being more a innocently beguiling, honest young woman than her somewhat duplicitous stepmother and stepsisters.
This 2015 version of Cinderella is helmed together by Lily James, who manages to imbue a sense of honesty and innocence to a seemingly weak character. When she is told her father has died, Cinderella thanks the man and recognizes it must have been difficult news to deliver prior to breaking down and mourning her loss. Her stepmother's dismissal of the house staff created a void in the care of both the house and its residents; Cinderella deftly takes the cooking and cleaning duties on and handles them with a smile. Her ability to embody her dying mother's words of "Have courage and be kind" is something she excels at.
If you could divide the film into two parts, the first half would be Cinderella exhibiting kindness to everyone "“ from her clearly manipulative stepmother to a stag in the woods. After she is visited by her fairy godmother, she begins to display some immense courage by going to the ball, standing up to her stepmother, sewing her own dress when she is denied the opportunity for one to be made for her, among other things. Her extremely positive and kind manner would normally get a bit grating after the first 20 minutes on film. Instead both Lily James and Kenneth Branagh have managed to turn this character into something much more palatable and even relatable. Through all of the unfortunate events in Cinderella's life, she keeps her attitude positive yet realistic. It's a fine line to dance that could have gone very badly.
Some of the misses of the film are quite nitpicky. In an almost homage to Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and then the prince are the only characters to wear blue"¦until the stepmother suddenly switches to a very royal blue gown, and the prince's attaché is in solid blue, and"¦ Other such nods to other Disney princess films exist, from the dress switching between blue and pink (Sleeping Beauty) to the dramatic collapse to a handy object to cry (Aladdin, Beaury and the Beast, Pochahontas, Princess and the Frog"¦). This is often a touch distracting because the scene goes on just a little too long, like the visual equivalent of "See what I did here."Helena Bonham Carter's rendition of the fairy godmother seems quite forced. She never seems comfortable with her lines, perhaps because the role is a bit of a departure from her usual.
Possibly my favorite part of the film is the performance from Cate Blanchett. Blanchett's stepmother is both wonderfully similar to the original animation and yet has this perfect mix of simper with just the right amount of near sass. It's just the way she uses facial expressions and holds her mouth. It's impressive, really.
Overall, Branagh has managed to create a film that ties in so closely to the original that it's sometimes a bit difficult to understand why exactly Disney chose to make the film. Sure, the sets and costumes are absolutely gorgeous. But there's no new take on the film. But maybe that's acceptable in light of how morally ambiguous other remakes have been. Overall, it's certainly a valiant effort that's definitely acceptable for families.
