Review: CINDERELLA (2015)

CINDERELLA  (FANTASY/ROMANCE) 
3 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Jana Perez, Alex Macqueen
Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
112 minutes
Verdict: Simple, sweet and very faithful to its source material (the Perrault fairy tale more than the 1950 animated film), CINDERELLA is a lavishly-produced costume drama with class and a return to form for director Kenneth Branagh.
YOU MAY ENJOY CINDERELLA (2015) IF YOU LIKED:
EVER AFTER  (1998)
CINDERELLA  (1950)
MIRROR MIRROR  (2012)
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING  (1993)
MALEFICENT  (2014)
Kenneth Branagh first came to the attention of Hollywood by adapting, directing, starring in and occasionally producing big screen versions of William Shakespeare's plays, with his directorial debut, a raw and gritty HENRY V in 1989, earning him recognition in the form of Academy Award nominations both for Best Director and Best Actor.  His lush, stylish and faithful-to-a-fault adaptations were always in the form of splendorous costume dramas and featuring illustrious ensemble casts, culminating in his unabridged and unsurpassed four-hour HAMLET in 1996.  His newest film (as director) CINDERELLA, primarily an adaptation of the classic fairy tale "Cendrillon", as written by Charles Perrault, but also in part a live action remake of Walt Disney Animation Studios' classic 1950 animated feature of the same name, is his third major studio tent-pole production in a row, following Marvel's THOR in 2011 and Paramount's JACK RYAN in 2014.  Unlike those however, CINDERELLA actually feels like a Branagh film.
In 2010, Alice Kingsleigh returned to Underland (not "Wonderland") to slay the Jabberwocky and end the Red Queen's reign of terror in ALICE IN WONDERLAND; in 2014, the dark fairy Maleficent was the heroine of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and fought Princess Aurora's mad father in MALEFICENT; in 2015, CINDERELLA is just that, the story of Cinderella.  There are a few embellishments here and there, but nothing to change the main narrative.  Played by Downton Abbey's Lily James, Ella, or "Cinderella", as she is derisively called by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, lives by a motto of "Have courage and be kind," words instilled in her by her deceased mother (played by Hayley Atwell, best known as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Studios films).  Her widowed father (Ben Chaplin) marries the widowed Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), who brings with her two obnoxious daughters, Anastasia (Holliday Grainger, another Downton Abbey alumni) and Drisella (Sophie McShera).  After Ella's father dies, her stepmother reveals the actual extent of her bitter cruelty, forcing her to sleep in the attic and do all the household chores herself without reward.  After a chance meeting in the woods with a Prince (Richard Madden), Ella and he are enchanted with one another, and since he is under pressure from his father the King (Derek Jacobi) to marry anyway, the Prince proclaims a royal ball to which the entire kingdom is invited, in hopes that his mystery woman, Ella, will appear.

Lily James in CINDERELLA

 Perrault's "Cendrillon" was first published in his collection Histoire ou contes du temps passe, translated as Stories or Fairy Tales from Past Times with Morals, and Branagh's film, with a screenplay written by Chris Weitz (writer of THE GOLDEN COMPASS and director of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON), fits such a description.  In its substance, it is a simple fairy tale with a good and prominent moral strain throughout.  The style is nothing to sniff at though.  Three-time Academy Award-winning production designer Dante Ferretti (for THE AVIATOR, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET and HUGO) has created a world for the film that is grandiose and beautiful, but with a crucial elegance.  Things get a tad clumsy in the more exaggerated moments, such as the animal characteristics of Cinderella's coach crew, but these are exceptions in a tastefully traditional and lavishly ornate world of costumed drama.  This is what Branagh excels at; luxurious period dramas with a touch of whimsy, shepherding (rather than molding) well-established material through his posh and painterly film landscapes.
Even in the midst of so many big-budget fairy tales that have made it to the screen in the wake of the box office behemoth that was 2010's ALICE IN WONDERLAND (and has since been reinvigorated by the bigger success of 2013's FROZEN), CINDERELLA is an unlikely picture, because it doesn't turn Cinderella into an action hero or feature any big special effects showcases.  It doesn't even bother to put a post-modern twist on the story.  It's content to be what it is, and while Cinderella is an active player in her story, rather than merely a long-suffering maiden in search of a man, the movie sees no reason to emphasize sexual politics, while neither offending.  It shows an uncommon restraint amongst recent family movies, colorful, but soft on the eyes; simple but heartfelt.  Its courage is in its subtlety, and its kindness it wears on its sleeve.

Lily James and Cate Blanchett in CINDERELLA

FROZEN FEVER  (ANIMATED SHORT)
2.5 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Featuring the Voices of: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Chris Buck
Rated G
7 minutes
For those looking for something a little louder, CINDERELLA is accompanied by an animated short of no small note; FROZEN FEVER, a 7-minute follow-up on the adventures of Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), Princess Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff) and Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad).  Further capitalizing on the immense popularity of Disney 2013 animated feature film that has become nothing less than a cultural touchstone, the Disney team has gone all in on the short, bringing back the directing team of Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, the original voice cast, and it comes with an all-new song, "Making Today a Perfect Day", from the original movie's Academy Award-winning songwriting team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.  On Anna's birthday, Elsa, Kristoff and Anna are planning a big surprise party, but Elsa has a cold that comes with unexpected consequences.  The song is clever (but not terribly catchy), the animation is gorgeous and it's an amusing set-up that finds a way to bring back almost every notable character.  It's a pleasant trifle, likely to enthrall children and mildly amuse adults.