We must simply have courage and be kind - Cinderella

Hallooooo!!

I'd like to introduce you to Movietime Monday. It isn't actually anything new, as I have written blog posts about movies before, but I'd like to make it a more regular thing and try to post something every Monday :)

So, to kick off nicely, this blog post will be about Cinderella. The live action version of Kenneth Branagh to be more precise :)

Cinderella

**this post contains spoilers**

2015
Directors: Kenneth Branagh
Actors: Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, etc
Length: 105min= 1h 45min
Family proof
Genre: live action fairytale

I guess there is no need for me to explain what the story is about? Cinderella is probably one of the most well know stories in the world, next to Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. And unlike most of the remakes, this pictures stays faithful to the Disney animated version as well as the original story by Charles Perrault. It literally screams Disney from start to finish.

To capture my opinion of the picture in one phrase: I LOVED it, but...

There is no denying there are no 'flaws' in this movie. No movie is perfect, no director is perfect, no actor is perfect, no costume designer is perfect, no set designer is perfect,.. No one is perfect. So some people thought it was just a 'pretty picture of pretty people on a beautiful soundtrack, but that's about it. The trailer made it look way more impressive'. Or 'Out of all the other adaptations, this on is a disappointment'. Or 'Made for kids only, not adults'.

Now, the first rule of speaking your mind and opinions out loud, is that you must speak from the first person: 'I'. 'I find...', 'I think...' Not everyone shares your opinions and you can't just assume that they do.

So, that being said, I loved the movie, but I can't disagree with some of the negative comments. I'm not saying that I agree that the movie is a disappointment or only made for kids and not adults, but I do have my own remarks. Allow me to enlighten you in three points.

Firstly, on the costume design, I find the dress of Cinderella a bit, how shall I say it? Too much? It's a gorgeous dress, don't understand me wrong, but I think it might have worked just was well with a foot or two less of fabric. On the other hand, all the layering of the fabric made sure Kenneth Branagh didn't need to CGI the colours on the dress. That beautiful effect makes it all the more natural.

Secondly, Helena Bonham Carter's prostetics as old beggar lady kind of annoyed me. The movement of her face when she talked was just not natural to me. My apologies if this was intended, but it would be something I might have done differently.

And lastly, the fact that Kit didn't know Ella's name righ until the end. You can look at it in two ways. The first way is: "how on earth is it possible that you can fall in love with someone you don't even know there name of?!" But then, it is a fairytale. The second way: "if it's love, does it matter if you know the person's heart?" But then again, it is a fairytale. For me personally, growing up in the 21th Century, it just not imaginable not to know the name of the person you like/love. Especially what all the social media x)

As for the review of 'it's made for kids, not for adults', I do pitty that person. To lose your inner child. I'd say it is a perfectly suitable movie for anyone. Child or adult. Man or woman.

Now that I've explained the 'but...' part of my one phrase, I am more than excited to explain to you why I loved it :)

Firstly, Branagh stays so close to the original animated story. You can find quite a few scenes in the movie that are copied from the 1950 animated version. If that doesn't transport you right back to your childhood...

Secondly, as the original Disney animation is only about an hour long and we are dealing with an extra 45min in this live action version, Branagh took the opportunity to teach us more about Ella's background and he allows us to meet the prince. The fact that they meet before the ball is also something that doesn't happen in the animated version, but by adding that event, it makes the story much more contemporary and realistic :)

Thirdly, you have quite a few touching scenes in this one, so if you're a 'major wheeper', you might want to take some tissues with you. Especially the scene where the king is leaving his son. That shot from above, the position the prince is laying in, you can't help but want to hug him, comfort him. The prince truly looks vulnerable and that's what it makes so much more believable and admirable. 

Lastly, as I've mentionned earlier, the picture screams Disney from start to finish. The colour scheme, the sets, the locations, the costumes,... And of course, the story. But that is exactly why I love it so much. No weird plot twist right at the end, no wicked story lines added. Just plain and simple, a live action movie of the original animated Disney version of 1950. Branagh did a marveleous job.

Of course the acting performances by Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Derek Jacobi, Stellan Skarsgard, Helena Bonham Carter, etc are to be admired here. With a different cast the movie will have turned out completely different and I'm not sure if it would be for the better.

Besides the superb sets, costumes, lightening, colours schemes, acting performances, etc. We must not forget the soundtrack. Patrick Doyle composed the music for this title and he did an absolute amazing job with it.

Now, to finish off this post, enjoy the trailer and a clip :)

Trailer

Clip

Featured

Fox 5 DC interview

I can't wait for the movie to be released on DVD so I can watch it again and again and again :) Oh, and I can't wait to see the live action verson of Beauty and the Beast !! :)

Thanks for reading!! ^^
xo - Sara