What can someone say or do differently than all the many versions we have had of this story over the past few decades?
When Walt Disney told his version of it back in 1950 it was a very different time and place. This film is only presented by Disney and is a film by Kenneth Branagh.
The difference maker here is a director who knows how to lead his actors being one himself first on stage and then on screen.
Cinderella or Ella as she is called when we first meet her is played wonderfully by Lily James, the main reason this works so well.
Cate Blanchet(middle) plays the evil stepmother, Holliday Grainger(right)plays Anastasia and Sophie McShera(left) plays Drisella. The complementing part of all this is somewhat an adult , more mature telling of the story if you will as the stepsisters are never called the ugly stepsisters and the step mother not as over the top as she has been in previous versions of the story.
Less is more when the story has characters we are already familiar with and the computer effects are only used to help further tell the story , which is minimal and a welcome sight as far as I am concerned.
The graphics when making the animals into humans was fun and the pumpkin into the carriage as well. The sets are wonderful as well.
This is easily one of the best versions of this story I have seen in sometime. Nicely narrated by the Fairy Godmother as well.
There are those that still know the magic of telling a story first and using as little other tricks as they can , this film achieves that on a great platform and is one of the better films of the year. I myself am shocked to be saying that as I had not intended on watching it in the first place.
Thank you for reading this
Sincerely
Anthony Nadeau
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