This is, without a doubt, my FAVORITE live-action Disney film so far. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Lily James in the title role, this film is the standard to which I hold all other live-action Disney movies (which they have not met). What I loved about it was how magical it felt. As I watched the movie, it held that special Disney feeling that brought me right back to watching the original one as a kid.
Lily James’ take as Cinderella is everything I hoped it would be. As a character, she was and probably always will be one of my favorites. As a kid, I always rooted for her and that hasn’t changed as an adult. People can say what they want about her. I know that if you really dissect the story, she can appear weak, but what I loved about this take on the story was that they made this perceived “weakness” in her a strength. The movie’s message is quite obviously stated in the film, which is “have courage and be kind.” It's her kindness and goodness that makes people gravitate towards her and it is also how she saves herself in many ways.
Now, onto the prince. The handsome man, played by Richard Madden, is named Kit. I’m not sure how I feel about the name, but he’s hot, so I don’t argue with it. His chemistry with Lily James is INSANE in this movie. The first time they meet in the forest Kit is (obviously) instantly smitten with her. As he explains later, “her goodness [and] her spirit” is what he finds intriguing. You also get to see the sweet relationship he has with his father, which I thought Branagh executed beautifully. To say I started to tear up during one of their scenes would be an understatement. But if we're talking tears, let's talk about the tears of joy I felt with one particular scene...
THE. BALL.
One of my favorite scenes in this movie is the ball. Kit and Cinderella have their first dance and it is so sweet. The way the director shot it is what I continue to love about this movie. He took a scene that was already extremely popular from the animated and made it his own. Cinderella and the Prince dance, but in the live-action, it’s so much more intimate and special. You really start to see the two characters fall even more in love with each other. THAT, right there, is what other directors need to learn. You don’t need to copy the scene verbatim from the animated film. Where’s the creatively in that? Also, Kenneth Branagh didn’t just rely on CGI to make the scene look pretty aesthetically — he made sure that he was servicing the heart of the entire story all the way through until the end credits rolled.
Overall, there’s not much to dislike about the movie. It’s a love story PLUS a classic Disney film - WIN, WIN! James and Madden were perfectly cast in their roles and I think Branagh did a great job with building more of a story arc and beefing up the character’s backstories, all of which drew the audience in and kept you invested. What more could I ask for?
What did you all think of this movie? Did you love it as much as I did? Let me know in the comments!
***I do not own these gifs.
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