Cruella
Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, John McCrea, Kirby Howell-Baptiste
They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. For Cruella DeVil, this mantra rings particularly true.
Set in 1970s London, amidst the punk rock revolution, Cruella follows Estella (Emma Stone), a clever and creative young designer who is determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. Estella soon befriends a pair of young thieves – Horace and Jasper – who appreciate her desire to make mischief, and together, they build a family for themselves, living on the unforgiving London streets with their dogs, Buddy and Wink. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the stylish and elegant Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), who has a secret connection to Estella’s past. The relationship between these fashionable femme fatales sparks a chain of events that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the elegantly evil Cruella DeVil.
The essence of Cruella’s character may be defined in the contrasting colors of her character – white and black – and the identities that are born from each side of her psyche as she embarks on her journey to see which one will truly define her.
While her adoptive mother, Catherine, loves Estella very dearly, and wants her to be the good, sweet daughter that she raised her to be (and to not surrender to the side of her that is Cruella), Catherine is proud of her daughter’s flair for fashion and encourages Estella’s uniqueness and creativity…even when those gifts are scorned and rejected by others. When tragedy separates mother and daughter, Estella arrives at Regent’s Park, alone with only her dog, Buddy, for comfort. As she sits alone by the fountain, she promises her mother that she will fulfill her dream. As her journey to fulfilling her dream unfolds, Estella comes back to the fountain to share stories with her mother about her success in the fashion world.
When Estella meets the Baroness, this woman also admires Estella’s creative gift for fashion, but rather than nurturing the white angel, that is Estella, to shine, the Baroness's dark secrets force Estella to be transformed into her darker and more malevolent psyche, Cruella, instead. When Cruella arrives at the Baroness’s black and white ball, she is literally transformed into Cruella as flames burn away her white gown to reveal a fiery red one, complete with her iconic black and white hair. When Estella learns the truth of her tragic childhood, she visits the fountain in Regent’s Park one last time…this time, to say goodbye, both to her mother and her identity as Estella. It is in this moment that Cruella De Vil is truly born.
I will confess, while I dearly love Disney films, I have not been impressed, overall, with Disney's live-action reimagining's of their classic animated stories. "Cruella" surprised me by not being the dull, bloated waste of time that most of the others have been. This film is, dare I say, is actually a worthy homage to one of Disney's most iconic villains. The casting for this film is exceptional, particularly for the two Emmas, who reign as rivaling queens in their respective story arcs. The humor and chemistry shared between these women when they are on-screen together is electrifying. The score is superb, breathing another layer of life into an otherwise excellent film. The fashion for this movie - particularly for the two leading ladies - was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking. Overall, I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, John McCrea, Kirby Howell-Baptiste
They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. For Cruella DeVil, this mantra rings particularly true.
Set in 1970s London, amidst the punk rock revolution, Cruella follows Estella (Emma Stone), a clever and creative young designer who is determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. Estella soon befriends a pair of young thieves – Horace and Jasper – who appreciate her desire to make mischief, and together, they build a family for themselves, living on the unforgiving London streets with their dogs, Buddy and Wink. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the stylish and elegant Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), who has a secret connection to Estella’s past. The relationship between these fashionable femme fatales sparks a chain of events that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the elegantly evil Cruella DeVil.
The essence of Cruella’s character may be defined in the contrasting colors of her character – white and black – and the identities that are born from each side of her psyche as she embarks on her journey to see which one will truly define her.
While her adoptive mother, Catherine, loves Estella very dearly, and wants her to be the good, sweet daughter that she raised her to be (and to not surrender to the side of her that is Cruella), Catherine is proud of her daughter’s flair for fashion and encourages Estella’s uniqueness and creativity…even when those gifts are scorned and rejected by others. When tragedy separates mother and daughter, Estella arrives at Regent’s Park, alone with only her dog, Buddy, for comfort. As she sits alone by the fountain, she promises her mother that she will fulfill her dream. As her journey to fulfilling her dream unfolds, Estella comes back to the fountain to share stories with her mother about her success in the fashion world.
When Estella meets the Baroness, this woman also admires Estella’s creative gift for fashion, but rather than nurturing the white angel, that is Estella, to shine, the Baroness's dark secrets force Estella to be transformed into her darker and more malevolent psyche, Cruella, instead. When Cruella arrives at the Baroness’s black and white ball, she is literally transformed into Cruella as flames burn away her white gown to reveal a fiery red one, complete with her iconic black and white hair. When Estella learns the truth of her tragic childhood, she visits the fountain in Regent’s Park one last time…this time, to say goodbye, both to her mother and her identity as Estella. It is in this moment that Cruella De Vil is truly born.
I will confess, while I dearly love Disney films, I have not been impressed, overall, with Disney's live-action reimagining's of their classic animated stories. "Cruella" surprised me by not being the dull, bloated waste of time that most of the others have been. This film is, dare I say, is actually a worthy homage to one of Disney's most iconic villains. The casting for this film is exceptional, particularly for the two Emmas, who reign as rivaling queens in their respective story arcs. The humor and chemistry shared between these women when they are on-screen together is electrifying. The score is superb, breathing another layer of life into an otherwise excellent film. The fashion for this movie - particularly for the two leading ladies - was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking. Overall, I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.