Cinderella (2015) (English Language)

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Review

105min

Cast: Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett…and more

Disney provides a big-budget 21st Century facelift to the classic fairytale with their first live-action version of ‘Cinderella’, a warm-hearted but ill-treated step-sister who is turned from a servant to a lady by her fairy god-mother in order to win the heart of a Prince in this ancient but seemingly timeless European folk-tale.

As you might expect this version of ‘Cinderella’ is a lavish and visually impressive Disney presentation starring a mostly British cast of actors featuring screen-giants like Cate Blanchett & Helena Bonham Carter, as well as some of the new faces of Hollywood from smash hit TV shows like ‘Dowton Abbey’ and ‘Game of Thrones’.

Indeed Cate Blanchett in the role of the “Wicked Stepmother” does a customary great job of giving gravitas to a typically one-dimensional character, Lily James certainly fits the part in the title role and veteran director Kenneth Branagh’s steady hand brings the train into the station with no problems.

The perceived strength of this ‘Cinderella‘ is its adherence to the “traditional” telling of a timeless story without trying to “re-boot” it the way Hollywood often has over the last several years, the problem is that this “tradition” is only Disney’s sentimental interpretation of an old folk-tale and one which is arguably the least interesting of the many European fables and parables “appropriated” by companies like Disney.

We must question whether there is still a place for these kind of stories in modern cinema beyond pure nostalgia and light family entertainment, particularly given that we now have a range of sophisticated animations and family entertainment that tell these moral tales with far less sentimentality and in a way that’s more entertaining for all generations, ultimately the box-office receipts will answer this question.

‘Cinderella’ is a visually impressive and slick live-action interpretation of a fairy-tale that is perhaps too saccharine for the modern world, nevertheless pure family entertainment that the kids are sure to love.

Cinderella is released in UK cinemas on Friday the 27th of March

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