Cruella is a fresh live action adaptation with a complex lead, fun characters, and tells its own story! The film is of course based on the Disney film, 101 Dalmatians (1961), Betty Lou Gerson voiced Cruella there!, which in turn was based on the 1956 novel by Dodie Smith. There of course was a live action 101 Dalmatians (1996) with Glenn Close as Cruella DeVil, John Hughes was the screenwriter!, and she reprised the role in the sequel, 102 Dalmatians (2000). Close is named as executive producer in this movie. Cruella was also played by Victoria Smurfit in the fantasy series, Once Upon a Time starting in season 4! Let’s get into the Disney live action adaptations of their animated classics and characters. Specifically, we have a focus on a villain with Maleficent (2014) based on Sleeping Beauty (1959). It changed the villainess into a hero, but just loses the fun of the animated film. Cruella is directed by Craig Gillespie who also directed I, Tonya (2017) and some dramas for Disney including The Finest Hours (2016).
The screenplay has a number of writers, a story by Aline Brosh McKenna, who wrote The Devil Wears Prada (2006) which is said to bear similiarities with Cruella. Also, Kelly Marcel, who wrote Saving Mr. Banks (2013) which had Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers, and Steve Zissis, he was a co-creator of the comedy series Togetherness. Emma Stone who of course was in the musical, La La Land (2016). It has a screenplay by Dana Fox, screenwriter for the comedy Isn’t It Romantic (2019), and Tony McNamara, creator of the comedy series, The Great. It currently playing in theaters and premiere access on Disney+. It opens with birthing pains and the arrival of the naked baby which is noted by narrator Cruella (Emma Stone). Emma Stone who was of course in La La Land (2016), though no singing parts here, maybe in the sequel? The baby has the distinctive black and white hair and taken on a stroller by her mother, Catherine (Emily Beecham). The actress played The Widow in the action show, Into the Badlands. Passersby are disturbed by the baby’s hair, but Catherine still checks on the baby, her necklace hangs with the red stone. Cruella explains that the necklace is the reason she is dead. We’ve had in Tangled (2010), Flynn Rider say that he died too, we have to work out if this is true.
In the house, the grown-up girl, now 12 (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland) is upset at her mother’s sweater for a doll. Siefert-Cleveland was in the fantasy Emily and the Magical Journey (2020). Catherine says her name is Estella not Cruella, but the girl rips up the sweater. I like the contrast of her good/evil nature seen in her hair and names. She is taken to a boarding school by her mother on a bicycle. Estella doesn’t want to be Cruella and also doesn’t want to wear the school hat. She changes out of the red school jacket and into her own white and black jacket. Estella tries to introduce herself, but ends up being brushed aside by school bullies. Instead, a young girl, Anita (Florisa Kamara) introduces herself. Kamara was in the action series, Bulletproof. Estella gets into a fight with the bully and gives him a thrashing. She is later thrown into a dumpster, but finds the terrier puppy, Buddy, who becomes her lifelong friend. Yes, Cruella is known for her viciousness to dogs and wanted to make a coat out of them, but maybe there is more to her story. Still, she is brought before the headmaster (Leo Bill) and tries to expel her, but Catherine and Estella try to withdraw first from the school. Catherine drives her daughter to London to help her dream of being a fashion designer, Estella is excited to go to the Regent’s Park Fountain, this seems to be the Readymoney Drinking Fountain in the east side of the park. Estella promises to be “less trouble.”
Her mother mentions that she needs to make a stop to get help from a friend before they go to London. Estella wakens to see they have entered the gate of Hellman Hall and they drive to the cliffside mansion. The posh partygoers are all dressed up in Elizabethan finery. Catherine gives Estella the necklace, a “family heirloom”, and also tells her to stay in the car. When her mother leaves, Estella is too fascinated by the fashion and leaves the car. Catherine meets with a gentleman (Mark Strong) whom we later know as John. Strong is known for playing villains like Dr. Sivana in Shazam! (2019), but his character is slightly more complex. Estella hides under a food cart to see the fashion show, but Buddy escapes. She tries to go after him, but is caught by John who sees her black and white hair. Three vicious Dalmations start to chase after Estella and Buddy. So, we see these dogs as unkind, meanwhile Catherine speaks to her friend while a storm rolls in. Estella has reached outside to see the meeting, The dogs chase Estella, she falls, and they turn to knock over Catherine to the rocks and sea below! The death of Catherine and other moments may be disturbing to younger viewers, take note of the PG-13 rating, and the 2 hour, 14 min. run time! Estella runs when the rain falls leaving behind the necklace.
She makes her escape in a truck that drives into London, Estella slips away, and reaches the park fountain. The girl blames herself for her mother’s death. Morning, she finds two boys , young Jasper (Ziggy Gardner) and Horace (Joseph MacDonald) stealing money from citizens. Also, a tiny chihuahua with an eyepatch named Wink. A police officer blows a whistle and starts after the orphan kids. Estella follows Horace and Jasper to their hideout a drop in the ceiling with some mattreses at the bottom. Jasper wants her to join their gang. She says she has to dye her hair and we shift to the adult Estella (Stone) with short, red hair. We also get the Rolling Stones’ “She’s A Rainbow”, other reviews say the songs are too much, but I think they are complementary. The grown up Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser). Fry was in Paddington 2 (2017). Hauser was in I, Tonya (2017). Jasper is the clever one, Horace is just funny, superior to the cartoon duo. Their thieving is just some fun, we don’t get the consequences of the victims, and it all seems like they are stealing from the rich. Estella makes disguises for the trio. During one job in a hotel room, Estella stares at the House of Baroness billboard.
Later, after the failed job, Jasper and Horace throw her a birthday party, Jasper has arranged a job for Estella at the Liberty department store. Estela speaks to her mother at the fountain and then starts her new job. The Zombies’ “Time of the Season” plays as we get a sweeping move through the store, past customers, workers, and finally to Estella scrubbing the floors. She tries to get the attention of her boss, Gerald (Jamie Demetrious) about the front window display. Tossing out the rubbish, Estella sees Jasper and Horace who have brought her lunch, the trash spills and she’s locked out. She returns to face an angry Gerald who gives her the punishment of cleaning his office. Estella has played by the rules, worked hard, and only gets brushed aside. The store has closed and she sees liquor in Gerald’s cabinet so with Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made For Walking”, Estella almost finishes the flask and wanders to the front window. The next morning, she is wakened by the knocking on the window by Horace, the display has the mannequin’s dress altered and the entire room covered with Estella’s designs! It is impressive! Still, Gerald enters and is shocked taking her into the store, but this is the arrival of The Baroness!
Estella slips away with Jasper and Horace. The Baroness (Emma Thompson) exits her car in Breakfast at Tiffany’s style. Emma Thompson, the other actress named Emma, who was also in another adaptation, Beauty and the Beast (2017) playing Mrs. Potts. She is formidable, one step ahead of all of Cruella in everything, but fashion. To the side is her assistant, Jeffrey (Andrew Leung). The actor stars in the mystery show, Queens of Mystery. She enters the store meeting with Gerald about the window display. The Baroness becomes the mentor and nemesis for Cruella. Estella is caught and The Baroness sends Jeffrey to give her a card. She runs out with Horace and Jasper to her new life. In the morning, Estella heads over to the House of Baroness, The Baroness wants to get ready for the new fashion show. Estella puts together an outfit that The Baroness slices off the sleeves and nicks Estella arm, she smiles. Later, Estella looks in at the thrift store, Second Time Around, run by Artie (John McCrea). He starred in the detective show, Girl/Haji. Artie later becomes Cruella’s fashion ally. Another ally, is the now older Anita (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). The actress was on the comedy series, The Good Place. The fashion, costume design by Jenny Beavan who also worked on The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), is spectacle. I would not mind another Cruella film, maybe with Emma Stone picking up from this movie, in the 80’s?, ad handing it off to Glenn Close! There is a mid-credit scene! Cruella isn’t simply about her rise as a villain, this is about image, escaping your past, and living in a harsh world.
Four Necklaces out of Five!
#Cruella, #CraigGillespie, #EmmaStone, #JoelFry, #PaulWalterHouser, #MarkStrong
No comments:
Post a Comment