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[leia131]

Andrew and I finally went to see Cinderella last night, and I absolutely loved it.

Before seeing it, I was torn between being really excited for a Disney fairy tale movie, and feeling like yet another Cinderella adaptation was a bit unnecessary. Fortunately, it was different enough to interest me, and yet totally true to the story and the Disney version of said story (with adorable, appropriate, and not obnoxious call backs to the Disney version, like a cat named Lucifer, and Sing Sweet Nightingale.) I also think there are references to Ever After (or possibly just coincidences) and the Rodgers & Hammerstein version (the prince's name is Kit, which I believe is traditionally a nickname for Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir Karl Alexander Francois Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory James.

I teared up more than once, including when Cinderella arrived at the ball and everyone stared at her, which is ridiculous because 1. That scene is in every Cinderella movie and has never affected me like that, 2. I was expecting it, and 3. I never tear up at happy things. This movie is just that good.

My only minor quibble is that they went to the trouble of giving Lady Tremaine a motive and some backstory, and then wrote her off at the end in a single line almost as an afterthought. That was sloppy, but it's how the story goes, so I was willing to let it go and just revel in everything else. Her Cateness was phenomenal (obviously) the stepsisters were perfect, the costumes were to die for, they gave everyone (including the prince and the king) more characterization than usual, filled in some plot holes, and that weird CGI thing they were doing to Madden's eyes must have been just in the trailers, because they were a perfectly acceptable, human shade of blue in the movie.

I just loved it. I already want to see it again. (And Frozen Fever was amazing too. I need more Frozen.)

Comments

[spaciireth.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy someone else knows the R&H Cinderella. I nearly went and saw this yesterday, but then I saw A Little Chaos instead because there was a more convenient session. Ever After is my favourite movie, so the possibility of references to that makes me very happy.

[leia131.livejournal.com]

Wait, do people not know R&H Cinderella? I was OBSESSED with the Leslie Ann Warren version when I was a kid (even though that version is not the best, I realized when I watched it again in college) and I've seen the one with Brandy a fair few times.

Ever After is great! I don't know if they were purposefully referencing it, but the beginning was so similar that I legit said to Andrew that if her father croaked at the gate, I was leaving. :P

[spaciireth.livejournal.com]

Most of my theatre friends tend to, by virtue of being theatre people, but I bring it up with non-theatre people and they just look at me oddly, which makes me sad. I've seen the Julie Andrews version once on YouTube, but I was obsessed with the Brandi version (I was about 10 when it came out, I think). Now I mostly appreciate it for being the first thing I saw Bernadette Peters in.

I actually saw a live version in January, one of our local companies did it. The friend I went with and I were worried it would be taken from the revival and have all the weird political subplots, but it didn't, it was just Cinderella, so we were happy about that.

[leia131.livejournal.com]

Political subplots? This I am not familiar with.

Julie Andrews is just the best. Her version is the soundtrack I have.

[spaciireth.livejournal.com]

There's this guy who's basically Enjolras from Les Mis running around protesting that the wealthy have access to all the resources and the royal family are oppressing the common people and the prince is going to be no better so they have to all rise up against it. But then he also has a crush on one of the stepsisters, so he's conflicted about that.

I don't actually know how this all works out, as I only watched the first act of the bootleg I was given. I wasn't really into it. But he sings about this uprising counterpoint to The Prince is Giving a Ball, and I really didn't like that because that song should be left alone to be awesome.

[leia131.livejournal.com]

I read the plot on Wikipedia, and of course it all works out well, with everyone happy, him with the stepsister, the prince not being an oppressor, etc. etc. etc. I like Les Mis as much as the next person, but I agree that that kind of political plot doesn't really belong in Cinderella.