Cinderella (2015)

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer: Chris Weitz. Based on Disney’s Cinderella.
Released: March 2015
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Helena Bonham Carter
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Speaking of Disney live-action remakes and royal weddings, I remembered that I never wrote a review about Cinderella. There are so many Disney princess films and wedding movies on the tellie at the moment, so I thought I’d join in.

As with every Disney princess movie, one must take it with a pinch of salt. It will be a little cringe, over-dramatic, a little too perfect and very girly. But isn’t that what princess films are all about?

This live-action remake features Lily James as Cinderella, whose career seems to have been majorly boosted after this film came out. I remember at the time I was a bit disappointed in the casting because I didn’t know who this random was, but now I’d say it’s a perfect choice.

Not only was she the perfect ‘look’ for Cinderella, but she brought a little bit of personality to the character too (unlike Mia Wasikowska in Alice in Wonderland.). Lily James stays honest to the Cinderella we’ve come to know, while still being down to earth.

Ella’s mother: Have courage and be kind.

If you thought her waist was digitally made smaller, I can confirm this was not the case. Lily James has a naturally small 24 inch waist, and as she was wearing a corset in a billowy dress the appearance was an unnaturally tiny waist.

What about the glass slippers? While the close up of the glass slipper is real, it doesn’t actually fit Lily James’s foot. The rest of the time they’re CGI glass slippers.

Apparently Emma Watson was originally asked to play Cinders but she turned it down. She later went on to be cast as Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

Watson claimed she had more of an affinity with Belle than Cinderella. She also said Belle is a better role model, but I call BS on that statement. Disney princesses are all as shallow as each other. Just because Belle reads a lot doesn’t make her morally better than Cinderella.

I digress.

Helena Bonham Carter was a brilliant fairy godmother. Being in the Harry Potter movies perhaps made her well-practiced with a wand. She isn’t a sickly-sweet fairy godmother, in fact she’s rather brash, but it works!

(It is of course rather scandalous that she was cast because the director Kenneth Branagh cheated on Emma Thompson with Helena Bonham Carter back in the nineties.)

Fairy Godmother: Now off you go. For you shall go to the ball!

Cate Blanchett was the evil stepmother, and you truly came to hate her and her daughters. Cate and her bone structure are brilliant.

My favourite part is of course when the mice get turned into horses, the lizard into the coachman and the goose into a driver. It’s so magical!

Cinderella stays loyal to the original tale, and doesn’t try to be too different. It is a truly magical film, albeit cheesey. But isn’t that what Disney princess films are all about?

Jodie’s rating: 6/10