WASHINGTON — Cinderella’s clock may be ticking toward midnight, but the fairy-tale pendulum just magically swung back toward tradition.
If narrative trends move in 25-year cycles, our postmodern run of revisionist fairy tales began with the children’s storybook “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” told from the Big Bad Wolf’s perspective in 1989. A decade later, “Shrek” turned a giant green ogre into a lovable hero in 2001; “Wicked” garnered sympathy for the Wicked Witch on Broadway in 2003; “Mirror, Mirror” turned The Evil Queen into a candy-colored Julia Roberts in 2012, and “Maleficent” made us fall for Angelina Jolie’s antagonist in 2014 (say it with me now: “How wonderful”).
After this quarter-century (1989-2014), perhaps it’s common sense that the momentum would swing back. After all, how many times can you go counterculture before it becomes the culture? And so, in our bizarre new normal, this sparkling, old-fashioned Disney tale feels oddly refreshing.
The plot summary feels almost unnecessary. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, the young girl who slaves away doing household chores for her evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and two evil stepsisters, Anastasia and Drisella, before her Fairy Godmother gives her a magical chance to attend the ball and woo Prince Charming wearing distinctive glass slippers.
It will be hard for any film to dethrone “The Princess Bride” (1987), but “Cinderella” is easily the best live-action princess movie that Disney has ever done. That’s not hyperbole. It is better than both “Mirror, Mirror” and “Maleficent,” and arguably better than the adorable Amy Adams vehicle “Enchanted” (2007). Fans of those movies should smile with anticipation.
This development bodes well for the future of Disney. What once seemed like shaky live-action ground now seems like a clear path to future blockbusters, from the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” (2016), directed by Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”) and starring Emma Watson as Belle, to the live-action “The Jungle Book” (2016), directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”) and starring Bill Murray as Baloo, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Giancarlo Esposito as Akela and Ben Kingsley as Bagheera.
“Cinderella” boasts its own star power, casting two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech”) as both a warm Narrator and hilarious Fairy Godmother, while two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine,” “The Aviator”) plays the evil stepmother. Blanchett creates a villain that you will love to hate, scorned from past heartbreak and fueled by her perfectly annoying daughters, Holliday Grainger (“Jane Eyre”) and Sophie McShera (“Downton Abbey”).
Still, the film’s real charm is its casting of non-movie stars in the two lead roles, opting instead for faces from hit TV period pieces. The title role goes to Lily James, who you’ll recognize as Lady Rose from PBS’ “Downton Abbey,” while the role of The Prince goes to Richard Madden, known for his role as Robb Stark in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” James plays Cinderella as an eternal optimist, while Madden plays the Prince as an idealist wrestling with his father’s pragmatism.
It’s through these two characters that the film offers wonderful lessons for children. Cinderella learns to “have courage and be kind,” while the Prince learns to “marry for love, not status.” The fact that both of these themes apply just as well to both genders says it all.
Much credit belongs to screenwriter Chris Weitz (“About a Boy”), who keeps the film moving through plot points we all know by heart. It begins to drag once we get to the Prince’s ball, due to additional love scenes, but the dialogue is often quite funny, from chattering mice reminiscent of “Babe” (1995) to lizard footmen riding the pumpkin coach to a goose holding the reins. Even the bubbly Cinderella gets in on the comedy, insisting the glass slippers are comfortable, when they look anything but.
Hats off to director Kenneth Branagh, who once again proves his versatility. Perhaps more impressive than his five Oscar nominations is the fact that they’ve come across such different disciplines: as a writer (“Hamlet”), director (“Henry V,” “Swan Song”) and actor (“My Week with Marilyn,” “Henry V”). In “Cinderella,” Branagh works with three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (“Shakespeare in Love”) and three-time Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti (“Hugo”) to create a visually stunning work.
Despite such careful execution, it’s hard to fully rave about a movie that plays it this safe. The filmmakers don’t take all that many risks. The story is rather formulaic. And the film will always live in the shadow of the 1950 animated version, with its memorable characters, legendary songs (“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo,” “So This is Love”) and pop-culture contribution of Cinderella’s Castle as the Disney logo and theme-park centerpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUxAlnYP5aU
It’s doubtful the live-action “Cinderella” will ever make the history books or Hollywood best lists, like the animated classic’s No. 9 spot on the Top 10 Animated Films by the American Film Institute.
But laced with a positive message, infused with magic and paired with the new “Frozen” short, “Frozen Fever,” this could be the family movie-going experience of the year. Yes, it’s only March, but this is precisely the month where Cinderellas surprise the most during runs to the Sweet 16.
Take a bow, Disney. This glass slipper fits.
★ ★ ★ 1/2
The above rating is based on a 4-star scale. See where this film ranks in Jason’s Fraley Film Guide. Follow WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley on Twitter @JFrayWTOP.
