Cinderella—airing on Amazon Prime September 3—is a fresh take on an iconic tale that stars Camila Cabello as the titular character, unlike any Ella you’ve seen prior.
Sure, 2015’s Cinderella from director Kenneth Branagh was not a typical woman waiting for the love of a man to set her free from the binds of her evil stepmother and her two clueless and cruel daughters. But it still featured the same ending, even if the prince was falling in love with the title character “on her terms,” i.e., he won’t try to change her, and they will be a partnership in power. But 2021’s Cinderella (from writer-director Kay Cannon) takes things even further. There’s pushing the envelope and then there’s tearing it open.
In Cannon’s version, this Cinderella has dreams of becoming a dress designer and seeing her wares being sported by the rich, famous, or royal—preferably… all three! The auteur also chooses to commence her story with our titular character already an orphan waiting on her stepmother (an outright evil Idina Menzel) and those dingy daughters’ hand and foot.
That truncating of the first act of the traditional Cinderella allows viewers to get right to the heart of the fairy tale and emboldens the storyteller with the freedom to orchestrate a Cinderella character that not only talks the talk but walks the walk. This story is still set in the days of knights and jesters and as such, what Cinderella seeks out of life is downright revolutionary. “Women don’t run their own businesses!” someone even informs Ella of that fact that out loud. Even if women find success on their own (which is 1) rare, and 2) the system was built to make that almost impossible), when they marry, it is expected that they drop that whole career thing and focus on making a husband happy and bearing and raising children.
Is there still a prince? Yes, of course, there is and in Cannon’s film, Prince Robert is inhabited by a gifted soul who can sing like nobody’s business (which makes him a good pairing for duetting with Cabello). Yet, he still carries himself like a traditional fairy tale prince, complete with an entourage and lack of any shred of desire to settle down. One can see a potential clash between what the traditional tale tells us will be a couple coming. But, as Cannon wrote her Cinderella, the manner with which he is introduced to Ella and the way he has that singular conversation that convinces him that he’s in love with a commoner, one can feel the burgeoning love. It is impeccably organic.
As seen in the trailer (so no spoilers here!), the Fairy Godmother is now called Fabulous Godmother. It is portrayed magnificently by Billy Porter, whose character also serves as a narrator. Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan is King Rowan, while Minnie Driver is his wife Queen Beatrice. Kudos to Brosnan for leaning into a joke about his singing, one of the criticisms of Mamma Mia was his lack of prowess in that arena. Driver is solid, but don’t try to do the math on their age difference. This is a fairy tale after all… right?
Another choice Cannon made that differs from many an incarnation of Cinderella is that it is a musical. There are some original songs that are terrific, but there are also a slew of hit songs done in a fresh way (such as Rhythm Nation, You Gotta Be (by Des’ree), and Whatta Man for example) and even a couple of mash-ups that had us seriously toe-tapping. Choosing popular songs whose lyrics fit Cannon’s narrative to sprinkle throughout the picture is a bold choice that could have gone in either direction. Let’s just say that it works in a big way. Those original songs penned specifically for the filmmaker’s vision are breaths of fresh air that ought to be given serious Best Original Song consideration come Oscar voting time.
Cabello is a case of casting genius. Cannon needed a singer who could act and not an actress who can sing. That is exactly what she got (and then some) from the Grammy-winning chanteuse. The power of her voice and the way she utilizes her nuanced gifts—such as inflection, and tone—is exactly why she was given the shot at anchoring an entire film. She brings such a light to the screen that it will illuminate your entire room. Coming from Cabello, the painful sticking to one’s aspirations, especially when opportunity is knocking while love envelops her heart, is as raw and authentic as can be achieved. Which is, in this case, incredibly important and vital to the success of whether Cinderella and the changes made by Cannon work, work with an emotive connection between audience and star or fall on its collective face.
Prince Robert’s sister, Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive) plays a vital role in the scheme of things in this take on the tale. Her fierce and constant independence pushing streak shines a light on the status of women’s rights in the kingdom she calls home. As the actress portrays her, one can see how Prince Robert would evolve as he does growing up with a close-in-age sister whose views on a woman’s place have been a constant in his ear since they were young.
Menzel is like icing on an already tasty cake. What can be said that hasn’t already been reported about the singer/actress? Cabello has a fantastic voice and it’s exciting to think she’s just getting started as a singer. Then, Menzel appears and rips through her sonic responsibilities where she is just on a whole different level than everyone else. It happened in Frozen, and it occurs once again with Cinderella. The thing is, she possesses a gift and to be treated by her talent is our gift that keeps giving.
Cannon, who gave us the pitch-perfect Blockers (2018) and literally wrote Pitch Perfect (2012), as well as its sequels, penned and directs Cinderella, and to say she took risks is an understatement. There are some wholesale changes she injected into this centuries-old story that as a parent of a young girl, was glorious to see go from idea that folks talked about to realized reality. There is a bit of an issue with the story meandering on the rare occasion, thus feeling like it could have been tightened up a bit. But overall, this is a reimagining for an entity that storytellers have been talking about for decades and no one acted. Cannon crafted this world, and it is not only inspiring on occasion but feels downright gender enlightening with the headlines coming out of Texas.
Grade: A-