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 (www.imdb.com).
Director: Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard
Kenneth Branagh's directing career is diverse, stretching far and wide, from action and classical, to fantasy and now the magical. His live action version of Cinderella plays it safe, following the 1950 animated classic to the letter. Cinderella is on the very predictable side, offering nothing new to the story, but it does hone in on areas an animation would have trouble finding. The scenery, characters and clothing are incredibly glamourous and aesthetically pleasing that we find our eyes attempting to drink it all in. Ella (Lily James) is a fine mix of innocence and purpose. Having a pure heart and a soulful nature means we want the best out of her. Her time is spent under the control of her evil Stepmother (Blanchett). Blanchett is brutal to Ella, testing our anger, raising our temperatures to boiling point. We want nothing more than to see sweet justice, even if we already know the outcome. Sparks fly between Ella and Richard Madden's Prince (Game of Thrones' Rob Stark). They make it easy to believe love at first sight. The film starts to bleed magic when Ella meets her Fairy Godmother (Bonham Carter), who turns the impossible into reality. Disney fans will relish in this wonderful remake because it doesn't try to outdo expectations.
4/5
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