'Cinderella': The new live-action version of the fairy tale never soars
Not only is Disney鈥檚 鈥淐inderella鈥� not animated, but, in this digital聽era, it was also shot on actual film. Hurray! In many ways, the movie is聽pleasantly old-school, even if this material is beyond familiar.
When it comes to fairy tales, familiarity is, of course, the point. The聽trick is to make enough tweaks in the story line to provoke surprise聽without going all modernist on us. Unless, of course, you鈥檙e Stephen聽Sondheim and James Lapine creating 鈥淚nto the Woods,鈥� for which the revamping is聽the whole raison d鈥櫭猼re.
鈥淐inderella,鈥� directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Chris聽Weitz, has nowhere near the dark inventiveness of 鈥淚nto the Woods,鈥澛爓hich was recently and triumphantly made into a movie, but it has its聽traditional pleasures. As聽Cinderella, Lily James (from 鈥�Downton Abbey鈥�)聽is charming without being bland, not easy to do. Ditto her prince (Richard聽Madden). Some of the supporting players, most resplendently Cate聽Blanchett as the wicked stepmother and Derek Jacobi as the ailing king,聽are very fine. The film never soars, though, and the result is more of an聽illustrated storybook of a cherished classic than a living thing in its own聽right. Grade:聽B- (Rated PG for mild thematic elements.)
