Cinderella is true to the original Disney animated but provides ample back and side stories: Cinderella's childhood, her stepmother's pain, and more screen time for the prince (James Madden), his life, and the politics within the castle.
Similar to the perception of the small group that gave this movie a thumbs-down, Cinderella (Lily James) looks off her rocker here. Yes, loony. Her facial expression, gestures, and performance make her look nutty, that it makes you wonder if something snapped inside Cinderella when her father died. If you also notice their house, the decor has no sense, which all the more gives you an unsettling feeling of craziness.
In the animated film, it is endearing to see Cinderella being chummy with the house mice led by Gus, but it comes off as odd when it translates into live action despite it being a fairy tale. Another strong indication of some mental illness is when Cinderella, unable to cope anymore with her suffering, escapes to the woods and sees a cute guy, the prince. Here, she makes a startlingly quick and dramatic switch: from a traumatized victim to full flirtatious mode. No, she's got no sparkle-in-the-eyes-speechless-love-at-first-sight look when she sees Prince Kit, but she suddenly acts like some woman in a bar picking up a guy— with zero traces of what has just transpired before she escaped for self-preservation.
Cinderella also gives off the wrong impression: There is a big difference between being nice and having self-respect, and Cinderella has none of the latter—which is very unhealthy. The reasons that justify her unfortunate situation is seriously lacking, that you only view her as a doormat.
The only strong points in the film are Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham-Carter, both effortless and engaging to watch. But Blanchett's stepmother has some weird inconsistency: she has this inherent fashion style in her, yet she fails to see her daughters' horrendous taste in clothes?
Penned by Chris Weitz and Aline Brosh McKenna, and directed by Kenneth Branagh, the live-action Cinderella simply gave me an unpleasant experience of a schizophrenic Disney princess. It's making me miss Ever After.
1.5 out of 5 stars
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