Disney charm, crime fiction and comedy? It had to work! – review of the movie “Cruella”

Cruella I support, Cruella I can like

Honestly, I’ve always cheered on the Dalmatians. Basically, I have no dilemma about who to cheer on – of course, Cruella and her gang. Before I started writing a review, there were a lot of things I had to think about. I have compiled other titles in which this character appears. I came to the conclusion that each production is a completely different person and a completely different story related to it. In the new film, the title character is neither bad nor good – it’s a fairly simple way of understanding reality. This is how the world is perceived by young children, this is how it was presented in fairy tales, so we could understand it more easily. When we become adults, we experience the hardships of life, we see that it looks completely different, it lacks this simplicity, because something can be black and white at the same time – like Cruella’s hair. It all depends what path we choose and whether we intend to strive for more content of one or the other color All in all, it can be said that the colors on the character’s head illustrate two dispositions that it hides. On the one hand, it isEstella, a person who cares about her family, even a foster family, tries to live by her mother’s ideals, does not accept injustice, has her dreams, a good friend, on the other – a somewhat insane and cunning woman. These two faces create a complete picture of the heroine, revealing the truth about her. Can you define a specific person in a few sentences? I do not think so. If we can do it, we simply don’t know her in the world, nor do we know ourselves. Everyone has vices, weaknesses, strengths, dreams, things and people for whom he is willing to sacrifice everything. The Japanese even claim that a man has three faces.

Continued alternately

Famous heroes appear in the background. Roger is a lawyer of the Baroness, a musician by passion. Anita was friends with Estellaat school, currently works as a journalist. It may sound trivial, but I finally believed that Cruella was indeed her peer. The main character is not overwhelmed by the lust for the murder of any animals, she has a dog herself – Badyla. There had already been an attempt to portray Cruella in a slightly better light. I am reminded of one animated series (1997) in which she by no means aspired to the role of “murderer of poor animals”. But she was a businesswoman, possibly too calculating, too brusque. Nevertheless, she cared for the people she cared about (for example, her favorite female employee, Anita) and had her own pet. In the first animated film (1961) a shallow character was created. Ie. we associate it mainly through the prism of fur, cigarettes, car, madness in the eyes and contempt for others. Typical enemy, typical one-dimensionality.Cruelli a complete transformation. Consider, for example, Horace and Jasper (the Polish version of the animated film – Nochal and Baryła). In the new production, they are quite nice and intelligent people – maybe one less. They are not at all brutal, ruthless, just like others have feelings and care for people close to them. Entering a certain sphere of curiosities, the characters of Jasper and Horace in the 1996 action film 101 Dalmatians were played by Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, i.e. Dr. Gregory House and Artur Weasley, and Glenn Close became the pseudo-believer herself.

Cruella finally got expression

This time, Cruella actually had talent, she was a genius – not just a designer or a style icon from the name. Although she is a specific person, it does not seem that she would ever catch little Dalmatians. Don’t get me wrong, I was terribly afraid of her as a child – but the stepmother from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( 1937) was ranked much higher. Even now I can describe Cruella from the Disney movie (1961) in a few sentences. In the case of the character played by Emma Stone, I can hardly refrain from creating more parts of the text, a lot could be told about her. The heroine has undergone an evolution and is no longer one-dimensional. In this movie, she stopped being an antagonist.

The fashion for retelling the stories we know continues, and Disney, as you can see, feels pretty good about it. Therefore, it is impossible to omit other productions here, not to juxtapose Cruella with another bad woman, who also got a new version of her story. An antagonist, winning the hearts of viewers as a fully-fledged heroine. Hence, it seems natural to me to invoke Malaficent here, or, if you prefer, Diabolina. The films with Angelina Jolie in the title role – Witch 1 and 2 present a different version of the character who in his previous Disney incarnation was an antagonist (just like Cruella). In addition, she became, in a sense, the mother of Sleeping Beauty – Aurora. She clearly took the side of the good. In Cruellathere are basically no supernatural forces. The heroine misses her mother, has a new family and a dream to become a designer, but her idol turns into the greatest enemy with whom she has to compete if she wants to protect her loved ones and her dream of a better future.

Actorically… wonderful

It’s been a long time since I saw such a well-chosen cast, everyone suited their character, blending in with the rest of the band. Probably the last time I experienced it in The Gentlemen , Code Name UNCLE . Guy Ritchie or the series Westworld. So we have the Cruelli gang: the great Joel Fry (Jasper), Paul Walter Hauser (Horacy). Somewhere there is Mark Strong in the role of the Baroness’s butler, a bit mysterious, a bit mysterious. The Baroness’s assistant stuck in my memory – every time the camera hovered over his face, I burst out laughing – internally, so as not to disturb the screening. A peculiar charm was also spread by John McCrea in the role of Artie – the owner of a clothing store, “fashion soul mate” of the main character. The works were completed with dogs – applause for Brylant, Badyl and the “bloodthirsty” Dalmatians.

I found out about Emma Stone somewhere around the movie The Servants , then I watched more productions with her participation. Such sympathy for her slowly grew and climbed to new heights, thanks to the role of Cruella. The actress has already played the role of slightly confused, crazy, serious characters, often going through various emotional stages of the protagonists in one film. But in the new Disney title, she was amazing, playing at the same time the good, but clever Estella and Cruella – a visionary of the fashion world, a brave, ambitious woman who is not afraid of anything.

Of course, we cannot forget Emma Thompson. We associate her rather with positive characters – Elinor ( Sense and Sensibility ), Beatrice ( Much Ado About Nothing ), Sibyl Trelawney (Harry Potter movies). The actress in the role of the Baroness, the typical boss of jokes, memes was phenomenal. It’s not hard to be tempted to compare her to Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada , the mean supervisor played by Meryl Streep.

The visual layer, music

In places, Cruella’s action shows the realities of the London underworld – a gang of thieves, chases, thefts. I could not help feeling that the films Snatch , Rock’n’Rolla, Ocean’s Eleven or even The Italian Job were alluded to .I did not think that in this type of production we would have such well-constructed escape sequences. The camouflage skillfully used by the heroes was also playing an important role. The action of the film takes place in the 1960s and 1970s and it was perfectly presented in the visual layer, through costumes, music, cars. During the screening, you feel that you are in fact in London at that time. The theme of the performance, so eagerly used by the main character in the fashion war, is neatly woven into the action – a rock concert, the moment when she emerges in a dress made of rubbish and drives away with a garbage truck. As for the selection of songs, it is the quintessence of the period in which the film takes place. So you will hear The Animals, Bee Gees, The Rolling Stones, Nancy Sinatra, Blondie, David Bowie, Quuen… – the list is really long. TrackCall Me Cruella  is performed by Florence + the Machine (2021). The singer’s characteristic voice is chosen and the song is remembered again, as in the case of Witch and Once Upon a Dream by Lana del Rey.

Of course, there are numerous references to the animated production of 101 Dalmatians (1961) in the film . Like saying that the owners are similar to their dogs. We also have a well-known location, which is the Cruella Castle. And apart from them, also the characteristic car, the dogs Pongo and Perdi or the song Cruella de Mon played by Roger on the piano.

The time has come… summary

Compared to other Disney Cruell productions, it is something completely new, more realistic. The convention of crime comedy mixed up with drama further sets this film apart. Action, appropriately adapted humor, great music, great actors, good script, characters I support, adequate scenery – this production contains elements that I appreciate. I consider Cruella to be Mickey Mouse’s best live-action film. Quite different from the others, because above all, less fabulous. But maybe you need to break away from this fairy-tale world sometimes, even a little, and stand firm on the ground? I have to say one thing, I think I started to be seriously afraid of moles – no spoilers.

We invite you to watch Cruell’s film in the Cinema City cinema network.