Cruella film review

Score: 8/10

Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Written by: Dana Fox, Tony McNamara, Aline Brosh McKenna, Kelly Marcel, Steve Zissis

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, John McCrea, Mark Strong

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This is, perhaps, not a popular opinion, but Disney live-action remakes are pretty dull affairs: The Lion King was a visually impressive but hollow scene-for-scene remake; Beauty and the Beast was fractured, unremarkable and bland (despite Emma Watson’s solid performance); Dumbo was much the same, and the less said about Aladdin, the better. Two of the best, by far, have been Cinderella (which added much-needed depth of character to Lady Tremaine and the Prince) and Maleficent (which completely rewrote its titular character’s origin story). Cruella follows in the latter’s footsteps and rewrites its central character as a decidedly more sympathetic individual. Don’t go into this expecting a direct prequel to 101 Dalmatians; this is a complete reworking that will undoubtedly lead into unfamiliar territory in the inevitable upcoming sequel.

Amidst the punk-rock era of 1970s London, young Estella (Emma Stone) grifts her way through life with her partners-in-crime, Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser); after a decade of petty crime, they’re good at it. But Estella is different: born brilliant to a kind and loving woman (and with an eye for fashion!), she always knew she was destined for more. So, when the opportunity to work for the cruel and cynical top fashion designer, The Baroness (Emma Thompson), arises, she leaps at the chance. But the world of fashion design is a cutthroat business, and The Baroness is a cutthroat boss; Estella will need some help to survive; help from an old friend—Cruella!

Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are a dynamic on-screen presence here, with both dominating every scene they’re in; where Thompson leans full-on into The Baroness’ narcissistic psychopathy, Stone keeps Cruella affable, even as the character begins to toe the line into self-righteous mental instability. Joel Fry’s Jasper is the “straight man” of the piece (the character with whom the audience might best connect), Paul Walter Hauser puts in an entertaining turn as the bumbling but loveable Horace, Mark Strong is his usual brilliant self, and there’s an electrifying performance from John McCrea as Artie, the owner of a vintage clothing shop with a penchant for mischief. Indeed, Cruella’s cast is solid.

Some films thrive off subtext, subtlety and nuance—Cruella is not one of them. It’s big, It’s brash, and it’s in your face, and the cast is just one part of that persona. Jenny Beavan’s (Mad Max: Fury Road and The King’s Speech) costume design is as sharp and incisive as Cruella’s wit, and with a killer instinct to rival The Baroness; Beavan manages to encapsulate the tone of the film and the attitude of its titular character, and, along with its superb punk-rock soundtrack (with original music by Moonlight’s Nicholas Britell), the era in which it’s set, to absolute perfection. Cruella is everything I wanted it to be. Like Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine, the only problem here is that it creates in The Baroness, a villain who outshines the titular character for much of the film; a villain crying out for her own origin spin-off film that will likely never come. And, even if it does, we need to ask: are Disney capable of writing backstory for a villain without turning them into the hero? Their back catalogue suggests not.

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