Yes No Maybe So: Cinderella (2015)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 10:40AM Disney has been on such a billion dollar roll lately by returning to their roots and trusting in princesses and classic children's literature that we're now getting a live action Cinderella. The trailer dropped today. Are we a Yes, No or Maybe You?
Let's try this trailer on for size after the poster (I'm concerned her head might start spinning around Exorcist style, that neck is seriously uncomfortably swivelled) and the jump...
YAASSSS (new category!)
• Cate laughing with her daughters at their cruel nickname "Cinder-ella". Madame is like the Regina George of a Mean Girls trio. Only she's the mom. She's not a regular mom, she's a cool (step) mom.
YES
• Well, it kicks off and ends with preaching kindness which is a nice message and they haven't reinterpreted that most princessy of princesses into a Strong Female Character Warrior Woman a la Snow White and the Huntsman or Mirror Mirror so that's a start.
• Cate laughing with her daughters at their nick names "Cinderella". She's like the Regina George of a Mean Girls trio. Only she's the mom. She's not a regular mom, she's a cool mom.
• Love the primary colors
NO
• That golden carriage and the glass slippers. In their Herculean effort to look expensive they look cheap, no?
• I hope she surprises since there'll be two hours of her but Lily James did not impress on Downton Abbey but annoy. Was she just warming up or is that the full extent of her talent?
• Why is Prince Charming made up to look so vampirish?
• What Manuel said.
MAYBE SO
• I love the bright sunshine and the primary colors rather than that tired perpetual night dark blue grimy look that every fantasy film is required to apply these days (Even you Into the Woods when you should be the most unique of all? *sigh*) but they might tip over the edge into gaudy. It'll take the images in context to see.
• Reminds of Mirror Mirror which is a big no. That it doesn't remind of Eyesore in Wonderland is a big yes. So... a maybe?
• Kenneth Branagh in the director's chair is a hit & miss proposition
• Helena Bonham Carter. I know I'm required to enjoy her in this sort of role since its mandatory but the casting is exceptionally lazy, you must admit.
How about you? Would you like to slip a glass slipper on Lily or chop off one of her toes so it's no longer a perfect fit?
Reader Comments (42)
I'm surprised you didn't mention Sandy Powell's costumes. Everything on Cate looks fantastic. She'll double dip next year with the costumes for Carol.
Richard Madden is one of the world's most beautiful men. Let's not be putting him in the No category.
No.
This looks like a more colorful version of Ever After.
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH Cate's art deco wardrobe to match her deco face,loving trailer but HBC'S teeth are distracting.
Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale ever. And I enjoyed Mirror Mirror and Maleficent, so I don't have a problem with the film's looks.
I'm a Yes.
(but I don't know how she could walk and dance all night long in these shoes!)
Miss Lily James, I am leery of the 2 hours that I might spend keeping up with that superimposed petit-pout of yours... Also, I wonder what Alicia Vikander (ex Anna Karenina, of course: was not very keen on her performance there) would have done with this role?
Or better yet, can we please, in lieu of this, have a 3-D rehash of Andy Tennant's Ever After: A Cinderella Story. That movie has aged bloody well.
I'm a maybe. Cate and Helena are a plus and the costumes look great but I feel I could dig out my old Lesley Ann Warren version that was packed with movie stars and be just as happy.
Looks like MIRROR MIRROR, but without the utterly strange sense of humour that that film had. I loved MIRROR MIRROR, so...
I doubt I'll see this, but it looks... fine. Maybe better than fine. Who knows. Fluffy princess movies have never done much for me, though, so I will politely pass. Unless my bf wants to see it, which, ugh, on second thought, he probably will. Oh boy.
I am a maybe so but only because that moment where Cate holds up the shoe and says, "Looking for this?" has me intrigued how they will spin the story...
This might be nice and all. But come on--how could it ever beat Julie Andrews?
It looks so...dull.
Cate looks wonderful in her costumes but am I the only one who think that Cinderella's iconic powder blue gown looks like a big flop in this?
They better not touch Beauty and the Beast with all this live action stuff.
After Romanek and Ronan dropped out; Cate should have ran from this. No offence to Branagh, but his last two films were not exactly great. I can still see what kept Blanchett on board, she gets top billing on the poster (she is the only bonafide movie star in the film!), she's playing a Joan Crawford character, and she is reuniting with her fellow Oscar winners from The Aviator, Powell did the costumes and Ferretti did the production design. She could have used her clout and got Scorsese! Disney could have thrown a bone to female directors and given this gig to a woman, since it focuses on female relationships. Coppola's little mermaid does not seem to be moving forward, they could have given this opportunity to her.
Nathaniel, I agree that the casting is a bit iffy, I think Jackie Weaver could have worked as the Fairy Godmother. Thoughts?
By the way Vogue has already starting Powell's Oscar campaign with a piece here:
and://www.vogue.com/4463911/cinderella-movie-2015-sandy-powell-costume-designer/
Looks like it's made for 3-year-olds and looks exactly like the animated version. The only thing I'm interested in is Cate.
Oh my...yes to Ms. Blanchett - she commands the screen, of course, and looks GORGEOUS in her green ball gown with the emerald necklace and all. And I agree with Shawshank - the "looking for this" moment actually has a feeling of danger.
But oh my is Derrick. right! That ball gown should be THE BALL GOWN of all time and that blue thing is SO DISAPPOINTING. The fall of the skirt is lovely from afar but BLUE?!?!? And the poofs of white or whatever they are in the neckline and no sparkle?!?! The original animated film suggested such an exquisite, magical gown. I don't mind the look of the shoes - they seem pretty magical and special - but Sonja is right about walking and dancing all night!!
And I agree Nathaniel - I don't need to see Helena Bonham Carter in this role! Please! So many fun and unique possibilities for casting here. And the first shot of her - when she's old and wrinkly and stone(?) looked awful. It looked like old age makeup from a high school production.
But oh my yes Mr. Madden is quite handsome, isn't he? And that's nice. And he seems strong and intent which is also nice. But chemistry...with the lead? I didn't see any so far.
And I'm sorry but the words the Mother says to little Ella are nice and all but the lighting and the way they are delivered makes my teeth ache. I honestly think a lot of kids - girls even - are gonna roll their eyes at this. Come on - there are ways to do that scene that aren't so over the top.
And the mice? Whoa - they didn't look real or cute - just badly done to me.
And I wasn't very impressed with the casting of the evil step sisters either. Seemed pretty obvious and uninteresting.
So right now I'm really leaning toward NO. And both Andrews and Lesley Ann Warren had spunk and character which I do not see in this blonde in this preview.
Sandy Powell is doing costumes and the team of Dante Ferretti & Francesca Lo Schiavo are the production designers so I am a-seein' it!
Disney is so deeply devoted to itself. The pink-to-blue dress transformation from the animated version--is that necessary? Does the trailer show us anything other than a slavish recreation of the cartoon, with "back story" (ugh).
I'm a no.
I'm a MAYBE to NO. Cinderella really isn't that interesting of a concept and none of these fairy tale films have hit it out of the park (or even won the game, honestly). In saying that, for a March release it could be passable, I like Blanchett and I like Hayley Atwell as well (her role is probably small, though). We'll see...
No... Seems completely unnecessary.
Actually, I already saw it-- the trailer showed the whole story.
Deporah Lipp, Cinderella's dress is silver/white in the animated version, people getting confused by the platinum blonde (she is strawberry blonde/ light brunette) blue wearing bimbo in the Disney merchandise just bothers me.
A sucker's YES (I got a little teary).
A realist's MAYBE SO (Blanchett can phone in roles like these, she has before.)
A cynic's NO (Seriously? This?)
No, no, and NO! It actually looks like the worst of Maleficient, Mirror Mirror, Ever After, and Ella Enchanted. And, gawd! Didn't Disney just make a gazillion dollars on Frozen so why can't they let it go on the princess thing?
As for Cate doing a nasty character, I'd rewatch Hanna. And HB-C, well, she's just Bellatrix now and forever...
I don't understand the fascination with this story of all Disney classics. SO many remakes and there's nothing to it. And I can't even start with HBC starring as HBC-in-white.
I like the live-action idea but still feel burned by Maleficent. I'm actually kind of intrigued by Derreck's suggestion of Beauty and the Beast. I'll probably see it if only for Cate (YAS!).
Agree with Derreck and billybil. Cinderella's gown looks so generic and she seems like a dull character overall--no real sparkle. Cate, however, looks amazing in those costumes.
Based on the trailer, I'll be rooting for the stepmother.
Looks standard but I hope they don't mess it up like Maleficent (the worst movie of the year so far, so offensive). I hope the villain will still be a VILLAIN. Cate Blanchett looks great.
No, Look's like "Ever after" with a British cast( or just a Downton Abbey /Game of Thrones reunion). Is it "Daisy" one of the stepsisters?
chinoiserie: I remember that, so when I saw they were going "full merchandise synergy mode go-go-go" with the poster, my hopes withered even before seeing the (bad) trailer, because it's among the more textbook "tells the entire movie" trailers. Not quite Runner, Runner bad, but up there.
I'm a yes. It's about time children's fairy tales returned to their (modern) roots and this looks like a harmless afternoon with the kids. Lily is beautiful, Madden is beautiful, the costumes are beautiful......and Cate is delicious.
I'll say YES.
The lack of revisionism is refreshing and, though I've never seen her in anything, Lily James already seems like a more interesting Cinderella than the cartoon one (admit it, she was kinda bland). I also didn't find the carriage and slippers to look cheap, maybe a little to CGI-ish, but not cheap. I'm a sucker for fairy tales and I'm actually excited to see one that seems a little more old fashioned.
I'd much rather Holliday Grainger be Cinderella than Lily James. They should switch roles, really - Grainger is far too beautiful to play one of the stepsisters.
I'm so glad other people mentioned it, because all this trailer made me want to do is watch Ever After again. Anjelica Huston was so delicious in that!
I'm so glad other people mentioned it, because all this trailer made me want to do is watch Ever After again. Anjelica Huston was so delicious in that!
yeah yeah, it looks pretty and all but there's no way even blanchett will be able to top what Anjelica Huston pulled off in EVER AFTER. that role will *always* belong to her.
I'm a Yes: I like how it looks, Blanchett seems like she'll be quite watchable (we already suspected that, of course) and I definitely agree that preaching kindness is a positive element.
The Cinderella story's survived because - for all its familiarity - it remains compelling. This, I'm afraid, doesn't look like an especially creative retelling. But I'm so on board with your complaint about "that tired perpetual night dark blue grimy look that every fantasy film is required to apply these days". I was so hoping "Into the Woods" would deviate from this new norm - but no, the trailer indicates that's just what that film's creative team has settled on. Bah! Humbug!. Drab. Drab. Drab. At least this new "Cinderella" has opted for a bright and beautiful look. That's definitely a plus. But I still can't see it matching either the 1950 animated version or "Ever After". Both genuine charmers.
I'm a mild yes because I trust Branagh. His theatrics are just enough over-the-top without slipping into Bruckheimer-ness. If he can make this as entertaining as Thor, I'm in.
Oh wow, Cate's yellow and black dress is giving me Madame Merteuil vibes, the one she wears when she visits Michelle Pfeiffer.
On that note, it's Cate so it's a YAS!
OH man! My Queen Cate is rocking that trailer!
Just read where this trailer has broken the record for most seen of all Disney trailers on it's first day outside of Marvel trailers. I like the idea of the film, but I didn't realize the story had this much appeal.
Nope. This looks dull, lifeless, and tired. They should have adapted the musical.
Loved the animated since forever. Costumes look lovely. YES
Whoever said that Holliday Grainger should have been Cinderella herself, might be forgetting the slight irony that Lily James actually auditioned for the role of Anastasia initially. She didn't get the part of Anastasia and ended up as Cinderella, leaving Holliday with Anastasia.
A few years ago Eleanor Tomlinson auditioned for the role of Alice in Burton's Wonderland and ended up playing a bitchy rival once the role of Alice ended up going to Mia Wasikowska.