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Being rejected by our parents because we aren't like they want us to be could create deep scars in our character and corrupt us. We are going to try and be better, to distance ourselves from who despised us and made our life miserable but it isn't so simple. If you're going to be alone you'll plunge into depression which will evolve in rage and you'll be as your parents: cold, cynical and apathetic. You could still find your way, maybe you won't become the opposite of what you were supposed to become, but you'll become yourself by conciliating your past and with your new path. You could be something new, something, something which could inspire rather than something which could be dreaded. It's all about having someone who's willing to stay with you till the end, to support you, even in your worst moments. It could be a partner, a friend or a relative,....someone will always have to be there for you. You'll find happiness while building your own future, you'll have new stimulus to push yourself forward. You'll feel at peace. It doesn't matter if you're going the best person in the world, what matters is that you'll be your best self.
PLOT
"A live-action prequel feature film following a young Cruella de Vil" or "Bad people are just victims of their own parents".
SCRIPT
The movie does its best to make us care about a character which we're used to see as the devil incarnate. The plot is an origin story which is used to give a reason to her for being like that in 101 Dalmatians. By giving her the role of outsider, the movie explains her dichotomy between her two sides. The first act is used to lay the reason of conflict and show us the real villain, which is considered as worst than Cruella. I like how she's influenced by the people who meet her: jasper and horace are the ones who save her and give her a temporary solution, the Baroness is the one who save her and unleash her dark side and John the Valet is the one who makes her comes to a compromise with her past. As every other Disney villain who gets a reboot, her story is built around her parents and how they interact with her. I don't like the plot twist because it deprives the protagonist of agency and makes her another character who achieves everything because of her lineage and not because of her skills. The Baroness isn't the best villain I've ever seen because she hasn't sympathetic motivations and seems more like an old Karen. This lack of characterization is also present in the Valet and Artie. Who breaks the mold are Jasper and Horace, because they have motivations, interests and they care about the protagonist. I liked the contrast between Horace jokes and Jasper wit, which outdistances them from their previosu iteration which was limited at being just two dull sidekicks and comic reliefs. There's only one arch, Cruella's one, and is well done but I don't think that it's amazing. In the end is the portrait of recidivity. I liked the fact that they implemented some aspects of the heist genre because these're awesome. The fact that her choices in 101 Dalmatians aren't fully explained, could be the base for the sequel which will deal with it, I think.
I liked the decision to let her break the fourth wall but it's something which is becoming pretty common today and it felt redundant after a while.
Script: 7/10
ACTING
Emma Stone deliver a wonderful performance, flipping between naive or shy and mad or arrogant. His character, when it changes personality, also changes voice and manners, which is the correct depiction of a person affect by a personality disorder. Her english accent is well done and it doesn't contrast with the real accent of the other english actors. The other actors do a good job but i think that Mark Strong's talent is wasted here because he has a marginal role. I like how the actors of Jasper and Horace are able to honour the past and do their own thing, by giving a refreshing performance. Emma Thompson is ok as the villain but she seems like a spoof of The Devil wears Prada's Miranda Priestly. I like the depiction of the only queer character of the bunch, who is played by an actual queer guy. There're some actors whose performance is a bit poor and cheap but fortunately they've little screentime and their lack of skills doesn't hurt the movie. Overall I think that it's well acted and that Emma Stone steals the show and makes Cruella de Vil her character.
Acting: 7/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
It's appreciable but I don't find it remarkable. Most of the scenes involves a poor use of lights and shadows and there're no memorable scenes, because the movie isn't about visuals. I could say that there's only one shot which spoofs Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows which intrigued me. You'll notice it. Colors, even though this is a colourful movie, don't have a relevant role but I want to underline the dying color of young Cruella's hair, which is interesting. The fact that she chooses an hair color which is usually associated with rebels isn't so random. It's a detail which makes this section mediocre but nothing more than that.
Photography: 5/10
EDITING
There're some trailing shots which are good looking and slow motions is used sparely and when it's employed it works well. The transitions are interesting, as these're used to show the evolution of the characters and to deliver a dynamic narration. Nonetheless overall it isn't astonishing but it's also harmless.
Editing: 6/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
There's a bit of these and are used heavily on the animals. At first sight it seems all right but after a while it becomes a bit weird and in some scenes is off putting. Technically is an incredible work but it isn't always flawless enough to consider the movie outstanding. There're other frames where the cgi is employed but there it works well. Surely this is not the best movie's feature.
Special Effects: 7/10
SOUNDTRACK
Another strength of this movie is in it. There aren't a lot of instrumental tracks because pop songs take the stage and light up every scene. I could say that every single song is perfectly chosen and fits the scenes where it appears. From the first moment you know that music will have a relevant role in here and it will be part of the plot sometimes. One could say that it isn't coherent with the time period but it doesn't have to and this is what makes the movie enjoyable.
Soundtrack: 8/10
COSTUMES
The movie is all about the costumes and it doesn't disappoint. There's literally a fashion clash on screen. I like how Cruella's clothes differ from the others and the villain, to underline her quirkyness and fantasy. Cruella's wardrobe revolution doesn't seem forced because it's linked to her hair color. The best costume is cgi but it still represent the risk free approach of the producers to include such marvellous products. The other attires fit the time period and the setting to perfection. Horace and Jasper's apparel is on point, homaging the animated movie, which is a classic. I'm going to say that this is maybe my favourite section, because is one of the most imaginative and original. Not by chance Jenny Beavan of Mad Max: Fury Road was chosen to manage the costume design. Her professionalism and originality is everywhere.
Costumes: 9/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 7/10
Acting: 7/10
Photography: 5/10
Editing: 6/10
Special Effects: 7/10
Soundtrack: 8/10
Costumes: 9/10
AVERAGE: 7
An enjoyable movie which takes a hated character and makes her sympathetic by giving her motivations and exploring her youth. The movie is made of incredible costumes, a good soundtrack and a memorable performance by Emma Stone. Even though it isn't perfect, it manages to entertain you from start to end. The ending is a bit half baked but overall the movie is done well and I advise you to see it. I think that you'll like if you've watched I, Tonya before.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Screenplay: Dana Fox, Tony McNamara
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste,Mark Strong
Soundtrack: Nicholas Britell
Cinematography: Nicolas Karakatsanis
Running Time: 134 minutes
Budget: $150 million
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5/10 ★
Cruella's younger version is here to set the fashion world on fire... or is she?
Plot:
Stella was born in a poor and broken family. At a young age she proves to be fierce and have a strong personality. By the time she reaches an adult age, she discovers the truth about the people who surround her and the truth about herself.
Overall Opinion:
In general terms, I liked the movie and the development of Cruella's character. Although the movie will always be compared with other similar ones, I do think it has its own personality and tone. To those who criticize it, I must remind them that everything is based on something previous. I think the film succeeds on showing us a young Cruella who's discovering the fashion world and developing her talent as a designer. However, I don't think the movie really embraces her evil side.
Characters and Performances:
Emma Stone is an actress who has proven to have enormous talent. Her performance in this film doesn't dissapoint, since she's able to portrait a strong character. Despite the people who inevitably compare her work with Glenn Close's, I think she did pretty good. She gets to face her internal demons and she finally embraces her madness as part of herself. I personally really liked the metaphor of her two personalities and her hair color.
Then, we have a great performance by amazing Emma Thompson. I've seen a lot a comparisons with other similar characters, such as Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. I would say that there may be some inspiration in the character, but it's not a copy. As I mentioned before, everything is based on something previous and even Priestly herself is based on the supposed personality of fashion designer Anna Wintour. Having said that, I liked Thompson's character: a merciless and selfish woman who doesn't give a sh*t about anyone other than herself.
Now, what I didn't like about the film...
I have some problems with the film. As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't get Disney's idea on making their villains "less evil". When it comes to origin stories, they usually show the reasons for a certain character's personality. One could even argue that everyone is the hero of their own story. However, I don't think this is reason enough to take away the evil part of a character. Cruella is an interesting character precisely because she's an evil b*tch. In the film she's not evil at all; maybe she's a bit mad and willing to put up a show, but not evil. I know this is a movie which is intended for young audiences and these days is very difficult no to offend anyone, but that's my problem. I don't like when they sugarcoat stories. Just to name the most remarkable examples: the Baroness's and her dog's endings.
Let's be honest, the real Cruella is a freakin' b*tch. There's nothing that can justify wanting to skin puppies alive to make a coat. In the film, they try to sell a revolutionary female figure who will save the fashion world, but where's the evil psycopath? If they're working on a sequel, I hope we get to see that.
Apart from that, the only remarkable characters are Cruella and the Baroness. The other characters don't add absolutely anything to the real story. The movie could've showed only the two protagonists and it would've been the same.
Year: 2021
Director: Craig Gillespie
Script: Dana Fox, Tony McNamara
Genre: Drama, Crime, Comedy
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, John McCrea, Kayvan Novak
Runtime: 2h 14min
Qualification: 5/10
By @vreviews_
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"Disney's "Cruella" (2021) was honestly a shock and I mean that in the best way. The newer trend of villain origin stories can often come off as predictable and obvious but this one was far from that. "Cruella" tells the sad tale of Estella whose mom dies tragically when she's young. Cruella is the name Estella's mom gives her when she misbehaves at school which later becomes her alter ego.
Young Estella falls in with fellow orphans and pick-pocketers Horace and Jasper and they become fast friends. I loved this little twist on Cruella's henchmen. The 3 of them as "innocent" children really humanizes the characters that are stuck in my mind as silly (and kinda scary) cartoons.
Emma Stone truly shines as older Estella/Cruella. I will say that I was confused as to how this Cruella becomes the dog murdering, fur obsessed character we all know and love but it gives us some new appreciation for Cruella as a character. Emma Thompson is fantastic as The Baroness as well. She brings the quirkiness of Sybil Trelawny to the snobby Baroness which also makes Estella's rise in the fashion world all that more glorious. It makes a lot of sense how Cruella got so wicked given her origins.
The many nods to the animated and original live action "101 Dalmatians" movies were fantastic. The scene in the animated version where the people on the street look just like their dogs made me laugh out loud.
The scene where we learn Estella was never taught to drive and smashes into every car on the road was hilarious as well. Overall this movie is a delight. I'd absolutely watch it again!
8.7/10
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