Cinderella (2015)

An earnest

and entirely

wonderful film.

A genuine surprise.

I did not have particularly high expectations for Cinderella. It seemed like yet another uninspired and tired attempt to leech money from a classic IP without any understanding of how and why the original worked. This assumption was incorrect, because this film is simply wonderful.

The most significant aspect of the film's success can be found in how earnestly it is done. Director Kenneth Branagh delivers this film with complete sincerity, as if the story has never been told before. This means that rather than competing in the silly game of  grim/dark one-up-man-ship that so many other fantasy reboots do at this time, it focuses on simply telling it's story as well as it can. Branagh is known for working with his actors throughout the creative process, placing huge significance upon their performances (this is appropriate as Branagh is an actor himself and previously specialised in films based on Shakespear).

 The result is a film wherein every actor delivers a performance more committed than we have come to expect from films of this type. Lily James is fantastic in the title role, embodying the film's moral core of courage and kindness in every scene. Her deeply emotional and expressive delivery was a shock to me, and heavily contrasts with the blank and almost lifeless animated equivalent. Richard Madden is also great as Kit (the prince), giving a remarkably dedicated performance as a young and strong willed man attempting to do what is right for himself, whilst keeping to his responsibilities and commitments. Derek Jacobi is very good as the King, showing a warmth and wisdom that is delivered entirely through his posture and highly expressive eyes. However the performance that is receiving the most attention is from Cate Blanchet, as the stepmother. I will admit here that this is one of the few elements of the film which is somewhat lacking in comparison to the original. The stepmother from the original is a genuinely menacing and visually striking character, more than worthy of becoming as iconic as she has. Blanchet does a great job in her own right, having the perfect poise and delivery to sell the cruelty of the character, however she cannot match the hand-drawn original.

The film's story is deeply fascinating to me. Chris Weitz chooses not to darken or significantly change the story in any way, however he refocuses it. In retrospect, the original film is filled with filler material and cute comedic relief, the majority of which is cut here. However a far greater emphasis is placed upon deepening the story, which is the key word to summarize this film. It is deeper than the first rather than darker. Many other fantasy reboots or re-imaginings choose to needlessly darken their stories, attempting to 'modernise' the tales by shoving in ideas and imagery more fitting of Game of Thrones than an fairytale. They almost seem embarrassed about what they are. Cinderella is not ashamed however, and so rather than darkening it's story needlessly it decides to explore character and relationships. The prince is given a complete arc and a fully realised character, who as I previously mentioned is portrayed beautifully. The stepmother is not given an unnecessarily diabolical edge (cough Queen of Hearts in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland reboot, cough) however more context and insight is given into the character. Most filmmakers in this trend mistake darkness for depth, and that by adding and unnecessary and bleak back-story to a character we will care about them more (Maleficent). I cannot praise this film enough for how it avoids this erroneous trend, which is becoming more and more of a cancer on current American cinema.

On a simpler note, the film looks stunning. Branagh cares about setting, and so he clearly went to great lengths to build some wonderful sets. CGI is minimal to nonexistent, and the use of lighting and colour to portray emotion is top-class. The size and shape of the sets are particularly impressive, reflecting the state of the plot and characters nicely. The film has a good pace thanks to some solid editing, and is overall and absolute joy to watch.

In conclusion, I love this film. I was beaming from ear to ear throughout and left totally satisfied. I desperately want this film to become a children's classic, as kids deserve something that respects them and is not embarrassed to be made for them. The film even almost got me to cry during it's most potent scenes, and I believe this is a highly mature and highly impressive work of film form. Congratulations Kenneth Branagh.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review