When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her scheming step-sisters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger.
Director:
Kenneth BranaghWriter:
Chris Weitz (screenplay)Stars:
Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden | See full cast & crew »Storyline
A girl named Ella (Cinderella) has the purest heart living in a cruel world filled with evil stepsisters and an evil stepmother out to ruin Ella's life. Ella comes one with her pure heart when she meets the prince and dances her way to a better life with glass shoes, and a little help from her fairy godmother, of course.
User Reviews
Stunningly beautiful
Kenneth Branagh's lavish retelling of Cinderella is one for the books, a dazzling jewel amongst live action Disney fare, boasting a well written story and fleshed out characters to accompany the visual flair. The writing is considerably redone from the original animated version, with more for every person to say and do, and an overall maturity to the work. Lily James is radiant as Cinderella, whose loving parents (Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell almost steal the movie before it even really begins with their warmhearted, comforting performances) are taken from her at a young age. She's left with her icy stepmother and two stank ass ugly stepsisters, and off kicks that timeless story which we all know so well, given some cobweb shaking new ground to tread this time around. The prince she meets (Richard Madden) is a full blooded man with a lust for life and a desire to find the right woman, smitten by Cinderella every time he encounters her. Her fairy godmother (an adorably befuddled Helena Bonham Carter) makes magic and then some in the classic carriage sequence, with pumpkin, goose and some fantastic lizard footmen all springing wildly to life. The costume design is right outta town, every dress and waistcoat a multicoloured, gilded masterpiece of artistic inspiration, and Cinderella's classic ball gown is an enchanting magnum opus of production design. Cate Blanchett takes a previously one note antagonist and whips her up into three dimensional form, displaying aching flickers of humanity buried like dying embers in the gritty ash of the stepmothers life-sick soul. Stellan Skarsgard makes a smarmy Grand Duke, and Derek Jacobi provides wit and warmth as a most level headed King. A knockout of a Disney adaptation and the best version of Cinderella I've seen to date.
