Cinderella (2015)

[icewolf]

I loved the movie! A+

Finally a more faithful fairy tale retelling from Disney! No silliness about Alice being Xena, or Maleficent being good all along. Lily James was Cinderella in real life. Everyone was well cast, standouts were Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine and Helena Bonham Carter as The Fairy Godmother. The Stepmother felt much more developed as a character than the animated movie with the extra scenes they gave her in this. This is the first time Prince Charming has a personality! YES! Prince Robb "Kit" Stark was a likable guy.

The movie looked GOOD. Nice sets and gorgeous costumes. The story remained the same with a few twists, which worked out. I love that they brought back Lucifer and the mice. It'll be hard to find any CGI mice as cute as them. This was easily my favorite of all of Disney's live action retellings so far.

Frozen Fever was pretty much a cute music video, and the new song was thankfully good. It was great seeing all the Frozen characters again... now the sisters have new DRESSES! I love all the cameos from Oaken, Hans, and Marshmallow. All the scenes with the Snowgies were fun. Best part was hearing the squeals of delight coming from the children in the audience when the short began.

Edited March 14, 2015 by icewolf

[Advance35]

Saw it and really liked it.   Stand Out for me was definitely Cate Blanchett.   The way she slinked and SEETHED resentment was something.   She practically shot ice from her eyes and when she sneered her backstory at Cinderella and said "and I lived UNHAPPILY ever after"  there was a sprinkle of sympathy in my overall repulsion of her.

 

The Prince......Can I get one.  Please.   He was good on Game of Thrones and I didn't think I'd want him without his facial hair but I do, I do, I do.   There seemed to be more to him than there has been in other presentations of the character.   And I felt bad for him and his father.   Also loved how he outsmarted his crooked Councilor.   He wasn't the traditionally trusting aristocrat/monarch.   His Guard played "Ducksauce" on Game of Thrones as well.

 

Lily James was fine as Cinderella.

 

Always a pleasure to see Hayley Atwell.

 

Good Movie.

[starri]

Won't be able to see the movie for a while, but something that seemed like a cheap cashin flew to the top of my list while I was reading reviews.

 

This is off the topic of movie, but I have to say, the trailers have some of the most gorgeous music I've heard in a long time.

[againstthewind]

I loved it. Was unsure about it because I did not want to see a re-interpretation of one of the greatest animated stories of all time. But the costumes were gorgeous, Lily James was a doll, Cate Blancehtt was fantastic and Richard Madden... Well, let's just say I didn't find him very handsome in the trailers or when the casting was announced, but I'll be in my bunk.

[jcin617]

  there was a sprinkle of sympathy in my overall repulsion of her.

 

The part in the attic when she was explaining why she was so mean to Cinderella, "You're young and pretty and kind and I'm...."  I had a tiny bit of sympathy then, because you could imagine what she wanted to say, but didn't.

 

I always thought Robb Stark was handsome, but goodness Richard Madden cleans up nice too.

[ruby24]

I really liked it! I was so relieved, because Maleficent was seriously one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but this one was very well done. Sweet, sincere, does the story straight...I think fairy tales are fairy tales for a reason, and trying to to "update" them just makes the whole thing really stupid, and this one worked well because they didn't do that, I think. So nice that there was no bloated, unneccessary "fight" scenes thrown in so they could splash terrible special effects on the screen- just the Cinderella story as it is. Very cute.

[Nedsdag]

An admitted Cinderella fan. I went to a matinee full of seniors who didn't recognize Lily James from Downton Abbey until I told them after the movie (they were all DA fans).

 

As for the movie itself, I expected the worst, but I ended up enjoying it immensely! I have to give Kenneth Branagh credit for making a fairy tale a bit diverse. LJ and Richard Madden, who I was not familiar with before this movie had terrific chemistry. And I am glad Cate Blanchett didn't over camp the role of the stepmother. She was on point. I also loved the parent/child relationships in the movie. Those scenes would make even the manliest of men tear up a bit. Also, it's nice seeing Ben Chaplin again as her father. He was the British It Boy from the 1990s, but was affectionate in the right ways in this film.

 

The best part of the movie for me was the cinematography. The color of her dress and how the glass slipper was a prism was outstanding.

[Readalot]

I absolutely adored this movie! Cinderella is my all time favorite animated movie so I had low expectations going into it. I felt like i was in an Anne Lebowitz ad, the visuals are stunning. I covet her ball gown. My six year old loved it too! I would love to see it in IMAX. wish I could wear a T-Shirt or something lol. I can not wait for Blu-Ray,

[Spartan Girl]

I saw it yesterday, and I liked it too!  Very traditional, no surprises or big plot twist, which is ironically a refreshing change in the fairy tale movie genre.  My only complaint is that the stupid "Lavender"  -- I learned it in elementary school and it took me years to get out of my head and now it's back in!  Damn you, Disney!  LOL.

 

Lily James was good.  Maybe not completely empowering like Danielle, but she didn't come off as a complete ninny either.

 

Cate Blanchett owned as the stepmother and I loved HBC as the fairy godmother.  Was disappointed that her rendition of Bibbity Bobbity Boo was only for the soundtrack, but at least she said it!

 

This is the first time Prince Charming has a personality! YES! Prince Robb "Kit" Stark was a likable guy.

 

 

Word.  Prince Rob Stark has to be my favorite Cinderella prince yet -- although I did think Chris Pine was hilarious in Into The Woods.  And his good relationship with his father was a refreshing change.

 

I totally loved the ballgown and the slippers though I couldn't imagine moving/dancing in either one.  I did think the wedding dress at the end was lovely too.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[shipmate]

I am so glad this was done with a British cast!  It just made it more... elegant or something.  If had been done in America we would have had Miley Cyrus as one of the step sisters and cameos from the Kardashians at the ball. 

[SosaLola]

I enjoyed the movie, but mostly for the special effects and wonderful casting. The story is almost exactly the same as the animated version from 1950. There are a few differences, which I liked. However, I have to admit, I'm extremely glad Cinderella remained true to who she is and didn't turn into some warrior. I'm so sick and tired of fairy tales being changed just to make the female heroines your typical traditional male warriors. I didn't mind it in Alice, but it's really gotten so old with the next fairy tale adaptations. It's like women can't be strong unless they're fighting and killing. Cinderella can be a strong woman just by stating her opinion and sticking to her beliefs like she did in the movie when she refused to be part of her step-mother's plan. 

 

Got a question, was one of the step-sisters played by Sophie McShera "Daisy" from Downton Abbey? 

Edited March 23, 2015 by SosaLola

[Athena]

Got a question, was one of the step-sisters played by Sophie McShera "Daisy" from Downton Abbey? 

 

Yes. :)

[Rick Kitchen]

Lily James will be playing Elizabeth Bennett in the upcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is due out later this year. She also has a film co-starring Jamie Dornan from 50 Shades of Grey, called Adam Jones.

[BooBear]

 However, I have to admit, I'm extremely glad Cinderella remained true to who she is and didn't turn into some warrior. I'm so sick and tired of fairy tales being changed just to make the female heroines your typical traditional male warriors.

Agreed.  I have seen some criticisms in that Cinderella didn't fight her stepmother. What, exactly was she to do? Go to down McDonalds and get a job?

I enjoyed the Prince here who loved his dad and was kind as well.

[Bruinsfan]

I've read a hilarious review by a critic who seemed to have the mistaken idea that Lady Tremaine is supposed to be a drag queen, and was offended that Cate Blanchett didn't play her campy enough. Of course that critic also voices the opinion that she's a horrible actress in general, so I can only assume controlled substances play a defining role in his moviegoing experience.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Bruinsfan

[tanita]

can i just say, that Mr Goose stole every scene he was in. and that photobomb in the greenhouse as the pumpkin was being transformed - that bird is a star in the making. :)

[missbonnie]

I took my niece to this and she loved it. For some reason I can't remember a good part of it. Not sure if that's a good thing or not? LOL

[SallyAlbright]

Absolutely loved it, and I hope Lily James and Richard Madden both get a lot of work from this, they were so...well, charming. Cate Blanchett was a scene stealer as always and the costumes were breathtaking. I think Branagh did a fantastic job of staying true to the story and maintaining all the classic elements that people so love while updating it just a tiny bit. 

 

I always thought Robb Stark was handsome, but goodness Richard Madden cleans up nice too.

Yep. I too loved Robb, but seeing RM in interviews with his real Scottish accent promoting Cinderella...I'm now a very big fan. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by SallyAlbright

[tinaw]

Saw Cinderella last night and absolutely loved it. Lily James was perfect for the Cinderella role. I wanted ro teach in and give her a hug.. The step sisters were also great. Cate Blanchet stole show as step mom. Really brought the evil. The movie is very enchanting and cant wait to see it again

[dusang]

I saw it on the weekend and I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed at what a ridiculous push-over Ella was in the face of her step-family.  Sure, she couldn't just "get a job at McD's," that doesn't mean she has to start cooking and cleaning for the whole damn family without a word of complaint.  Also, I found the mice a little creepy -- when a live action human is making a teacup table for mice to eat on it's less "adorably charming" and more "this woman may need psychiatric intervention" in my mind.  But I did enjoy the development of Kit's character -- the hint of humour when he screams at his hunting buddy "It's Kit!  My name is Kit!  Just Kit!" was probably my favourite part.  And the costumes -- I would honestly wear the dresses Anastasia and Drizella were wearing in the shoe-fitting scene.  Although I have to admit for the entire dance sequence at the ball all I could think was how tremendously difficult that must have been to film with that dress.  The rest left me a little cold and reminded me how grossly passive the original Disney Princesses are.

[Jazzy24]

I liked it but I agree with above that Ella was passive with her stepfamily just because someone said to be kind doesn't mean you have to take people's bullshyt. I don't understand why she didn't throw thoes heifers out her house and by all right it is her house.

Also I hated everything Drusilla and Annastasia wore it looked like glitter and rainbows mixed with tacky threw up on everything they wore. The stepmother was horrible to the end.

And I'm really angry that the idiot broke the other glass slipper.

[Crs97]

I really loved it!  My boys were disappointed at first that we weren't seeing "Home" (sometimes Mom gets to win), but they quickly changed their minds and are still talking about how good it was.  My favorite part was when the fairy godmother was trying to decide what vegetable would make a good coach because  I could hear one of my boys muttering very seriously, "Get a pumpkin."  The colors were so sumptuous.  I have to think the cinematographer will be nominated; I haven't seen anything that rich in colors and textures.

[A Boston Gal]

While I loved the dress as well, it was Cate's 1940s Hollywood villianess styling that I adored the most: the hats, the hair, the jewels...it was Joan Crawford meets Mame meets Whoopie Goldberg Hosting the Oscars! I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

Edited April 13, 2015 by A Boston Gal

[ChelseaNH]

I managed to see this on the big screen, which the costumes and production deserved.  Traditional but not cardboard, sweet but not sappy.  I liked it a lot.

 

why she didn't throw thoes heifers out her house and by all right it is her house

 

Legally, no.  In the absence of a will, the house would pass to the widow.  However, the whole "eating scraps" thing did ping my BS meter.  If you're doing all the cooking, you can probably manage to have a real meal, even if you are eating in the kitchen.  But that was a minor point.

[truelovekiss]

I just want to say this movie was absolutely flawless! I can't wait to buy it on DVD. Lily James was the most perfect Cinderella, and oh my Robb Stark...I need to go drink some ice water ;) I loved the development of the Prince, Kit. His moment laying with his father as he was dying was so pure and sweet. It also showed that Ella and Kit both came from similar happy, loving upbringings but lost their parents too soon.

Cate Blanchett played her role so well. She gave the perfect amount of dignity to the role of the wicked stepmother, so that Cinderella could rise to her role as the heroine. Excellent job. I loved the stepsisters too, and I thought they did a great job at providing the comic relief.

The music was also beautiful, and the costumes were gorgeous. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I did shed a couple of tears :)

[Spartan Girl]

The DVD/Blu Ray is definitely worth getting, if only for the feature of the making of the ball.

And upon rewatching, I thought the captain of the guard was one of the best minor characters in the whole movie.

[SilverShadow]

AN FYI When you get the Blu Ray you get access to DisneyMoviesAnywhere, or you can purchase separately, and there's a bunch of extra deleted scenes. Some of which are very sweet.

[Enero]

I saw it on the weekend and I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away. Honestly, I was a little disappointed at what a ridiculous push-over Ella was in the face of her step-family. Sure, she couldn't just "get a job at McD's," that doesn't mean she has to start cooking and cleaning for the whole damn family without a word of complaint.

Agreed. I thought the look of the movie was gorgeous, the costumes, the sets etc. The acting was good too, but the way they chose to tell the story of Cinderella kind of sucked. Ever After with Drew Barrymore did it a thousand times better. I too did not understand Ella/Cinderella's reason for remaining at the manor and taking her step mother's crap. Unlike in Ever After where we knew why Danielle/Cinderella remained at the manor, because she truly cared about the property that had been her father's and the people that worked there (also her stepmother and sisters were all she'd known since she was child after her father die. So it was easy to see how she would've been forced into the servant role), I didn't understand why Ella, who was an adult when her father died, so passively accepted her situation.

I didn't understand why the step mother let all of the servants go? I don't recall it being mentioned that she was hurting for money hence she cut staff. She just seemed to do it just to be doing it.

When Ella went off on her stepmother near the end about how terribly she treated her I was kind of at a loss considering we'd hardly seen any scenes that showed the stepmother treating her like dirt.

Being as Disney released this version, unlike Ever After which was done by FOX, this was more in line with the fantasy (which were the aspects I did enjoy about the movie) and rated G version of Cinderella. This was definitely more for the kiddies than the adults. IMHO.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Enero

[JustaPerson]

Not super cuurent news, but Lily James is going to be playing Juliet with Richard Madden as her Romeo and Derek Jacobi as Mercutio (!) with Kenneth Branagh directing

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/183486/odds-ends-lily-james-talks-romeo-and-juliet-nerves-first-look-at-john-gallagher-jr-in-10-cloverfield-lane-more/

Probably could have found a better link but that picture of them is gorgeous.

And of course the Oscar nom was well deserved.

[Jazzy24]

Not super cuurent news, but Lily James is going to be playing Juliet with Richard Madden as her Romeo and Derek Jacobi as Mercutio (!) with Kenneth Branagh directing

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/183486/odds-ends-lily-james-talks-romeo-and-juliet-nerves-first-look-at-john-gallagher-jr-in-10-cloverfield-lane-more/

Probably could have found a better link but that picture of them is gorgeous.

And of course the Oscar nom was well deserved.

Yay I love Lilly James and Richard Madden together they are gorgeous together.

[paramitch]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, although most of it was due to the absolutely stunning costumes and sets. The acting was great (and actors well-cast). And Branagh's direction was perfectly lovely.

 

I just wished it had taken a few more chances to offer us a universe that wasn't so black and white. For me, despite a few slight acting wobbles, I'd say that "Ever After" is a far more complex and empowered version of the fairytale. Just without the budget lavished all over this. Even its characters were far more human and less cartoonish. (I know, ironic considering it's based directly on a cartoon...)

 

The part in the attic when she was explaining why she was so mean to Cinderella, "You're young and pretty and kind and I'm...."  I had a tiny bit of sympathy then, because you could imagine what she wanted to say, but didn't.

 

I liked that but for me it didn't go far enough. What I loved about "Ever After" was those few, frail moments where the stepmonster admitted her fear and frailties, and in one scene even showed a tiny bit of affection for her stepdaughter. I needed that, because it took the story from comic strip to reality. I had a serious stepmonster myself growing up (she remained cold and distant because my sister and I were pulled back and forth between the parents, often 2, 3 times per year), and the thing was, she was sometimes pretty nice. Even if the other 90% of the time, devastatingly cold, distant, and dismissive (mine delighted most of the time in letting us know that we did not matter at all -- we even ate dinner early and separately, before my Dad got home).

 

The little bits of humanity and fragility in "Ever After" were what made the stepmother more believable for me. This version lacked that, despite the fact that Cate Blanchett was fabulous and gorgeous as always. I just think -- especially with such a performer -- the character was such a missed opportunity for nuance.

 

I saw it on the weekend and I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed at what a ridiculous push-over Ella was in the face of her step-family.  Sure, she couldn't just "get a job at McD's," that doesn't mean she has to start cooking and cleaning for the whole damn family without a word of complaint.  

 

I was incredibly annoyed at how passive and unempowered Ella was here, in comparison to Drew Barrymore's far smarter and more spirited Cinderella in "Ever After." She was of course beautiful and lovely and sweet, but I will never think about the character again after seeing it, while I think about Barrymore's interpretation all the time precisely because she was brave and beautiful and willing to stand up for herself.

 

While I loved the dress as well, it was Cate's 1940s Hollywood villianess styling that I adored the most: the hats, the hair, the jewels...it was Joan Crawford meets Mame meets Whoopie Goldberg Hosting the Oscars! I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

 

The costume design across the entire film was fantastic. Seriously. It truly was.

 

I managed to see this on the big screen, which the costumes and production deserved.  Traditional but not cardboard, sweet but not sappy.  I liked it a lot.

 

 

 

 

Legally, no.  In the absence of a will, the house would pass to the widow.  However, the whole "eating scraps" thing did ping my BS meter.  If you're doing all the cooking, you can probably manage to have a real meal, even if you are eating in the kitchen.  But that was a minor point.

 

The fact that she was THE COOK and yet somehow could not reserve some food or tidbits for herself just felt so false to me, and like a real writing loophole, and something nobody had sufficiently thought out. It really annoyed me. 

 

Agreed. I thought the look of the movie was gorgeous, the costumes, the sets etc. The acting was good too, but the way they chose to tell the story of Cinderella kind of sucked. Ever After with Drew Barrymore did it a thousand times better. I too did not understand Ella/Cinderella's reason for remaining at the manor and taking her step mother's crap. Unlike in Ever After where we knew why Danielle/Cinderella remained at the manor, because she truly cared about the property that had been her father's......

 

I agree with you on "Ever After" as a superior movie, even if I do think "Cinderella" is a superb and absolutely ravishing visual fairytale. But for me it's missing the blood and fire of "Ever After," whose heroine did stand up for herself time and again, and who tried so hard to connect with the family she had left.

 

I also loved that "Ever After" at least gave us one sympathetic stepsister, and I was really hoping "Cinderella" might follow suit, but instead we just got the two very cliched and superficial characters who were sometimes absolutely cringeworthy and cartoonish. 

 

I also felt the costume design let the sisters down as well. No way they thought those outfits were the best they could get. And that bugged me. It was like, of course, let's show that they (of course) have no taste as well as no intelligence or kindness. 

When -- as with "Ever After" -- it's so much more interesting if they think for themselves and actually do have opinions about beauty or costumes that are somewhat realistic. Instead, we spend all of "Cinderella" laughing (or cringing) at the stepsisters and simply counting down to their comeuppance.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, mind you. But I wish it had spent as much on the script as it spent on the absolutely beautiful casting and design.

[JustaPerson]

Actually I thought the Ella's transition to servant was subtly done. Ella is shown doing some chores even before her mother dies and clearly likes to help out and as the Fairy Godmother said, she helped out even more after her father died to work through her own grief (and her stepmother let a lot of servants go). Her stepmother noticed and took advantage of her and slowly reduced her to a servant. I think Ella at first mistakenly took what was happening as her being kind to her family (when she mentions later that she wouldn't show her stepmother any more) and helping out but it was really her stepmother taking advantage of that to abuse her and Ella ended up stuck in that dynamic. And I suppose she couldn't leave because where else could she have gone? I don't think she would have wanted to leave her childhood home where her parents' memories were either. As to why she didn't feed herself, that was a bit odd. 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

I am so glad this was done with a British cast! It just made it more... elegant or something. If had been done in America we would have had Miley Cyrus as one of the step sisters and cameos from the Kardashians at the ball.

Cate Blanchett is an Aussie.

Stellan Skarsgard is Swedish.

Richard Madden is from Scotland.

Edited January 19, 2016 by MrsRafaelBarba

[Spartan Girl]

Actually I thought the Ella's transition to servant was subtly done. Ella is shown doing some chores even before her mother dies and clearly likes to help out and as the Fairy Godmother said, she helped out even more after her father died to work through her own grief (and her stepmother let a lot of servants go). Her stepmother noticed and took advantage of her and slowly reduced her to a servant. I think Ella at first mistakenly took what was happening as her being kind to her family (when she mentions later that she wouldn't show her stepmother any more) and helping out but it was really her stepmother taking advantage of that to abuse her and Ella ended up stuck in that dynamic. And I suppose she couldn't leave because where else could she have gone? I don't think she would have wanted to leave her childhood home where her parents' memories were either. As to why she didn't feed herself, that was a bit odd.

I agree. Most abuse victims are unable to recognize their situation until they are in over their head. The stepmother took advantage of Ella, using her own kindness against her, first with the "suggestion" that she give up her room, help out with chores, etc.... That doesn't necessarily make Ella a wimp. She acknowledged that she had a choice to go or stay, and when the prince made his announcement that he wanted to find the girl with the glass slippers, that finally gave her the courage to leave (or try to, before the stepmother locked her up) And let's not forget how she didn't cow to the stepmother's demands that Ella help her rule through the prince.

Maybe Ella wasn't as "strong" as Danielle, but she was resilient in her own way. The theme of the movie as the importance having courage and being kind to others, and her character arc portrayed that beautifully.

[Bruinsfan]

One slight problem for me was casting Hayley Atwell as Cinderella's late mother, when I suspect any character played by her would have pulled herself out of the grave to kick the stepmother's ass over mistreating her daughter. In a world where magic demonstrably exists, that house should have been haunted worse than the one in Poltergeist as long as Lady Tremaine and her daughters were in it.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Bruinsfan

[JustaPerson]

Okay I loved Mad Max but how oh how did the Oscar not go to Cinderella? The blue dress alone! Robbed!

[Bruinsfan]

Bear in mind Crimson Peak didn't even get a nomination!

Bear in mind Crimson Peak didn't even get a nomination!