Urszula, Diabolina, Yzma, or the Evil Queen are villains who have definitely been remembered by the audience. One of the most iconic characters of Walt Disney’s label is Cruella De Mon. Recalcitrant, terrifying and uninhibited – that’s what I remember watching 101 Dalmatians as a child . Is the cinematic version of the animation good enough to match the original?
Estella or Cruella?
The feisty girl Estella (Emma Stone) is presented as a typical individualist who from an early age does not intend to follow the patterns set by society. Walking her own paths and causing considerable problems, the heroine is expelled from school. Together with her mother, she goes to London to start a new life there. On the way to a better tomorrow, the protagonists stop at the palace where a mysterious ball is being held. Estella’s mother loses her life while playing. Since then, the girl, having no roof over her head and a broken penny to her soul, has to rely on herself. In the capital of England, she meets two robbers, Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser), who will accompany her in the most important moments of her life and, above all, save her from the frenzy.
I’ve seen it somewhere before
For some time, the Mickey Mouse label, wanting to recreate their cult productions, presents the villains in a completely different way than the one we are used to. I get the impression that Disney is trying to show viewers the birth of a villain by focusing on what really made evil in him. We could already observe this procedure in 2014, when the Witcher appeared on the screens of cinemas. Is this a good step? Not really… Cruella is a character I started to sympathize with and cheer for at some point. I involuntarily justified her character due to the difficult childhood that her fate had brought about. For a moment I forgot what it was in the animation. I could make friends with the film heroine. Due to its realism, the film allows us to translate and accept evil, which does not entirely seem to be good for younger viewers. Heroine, longing for her deceased mother, she strives to fulfill the dream that accompanies her from an early age. During this time, the idol admired by her becomes her worst enemy, whom she has to defeat. It is worth mentioning here that the once admired by Cruella, Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) will stop at nothing to maintain her position.
Great acting
Undoubtedly, the actress playing the title Cruella knew what to do to charm the viewer. Emma Stone is fully aware of her emotions. She can perfectly balance between a nice girl and a pugnacious woman. No matter what face she wears at the moment, she looks great both as a gentle Estella and as a vengeful Cruell. After the screening, I have the impression that none of the roles in this film have been assigned by accident, so they are amusing and touching exactly where they need to be. And now something for fans of animation … The scriptwriters have found a place that perfectly relates to the classic story, strain your eyes!
… which is shocking with eyesight and has a bad face …
It is also worth mentioning the soundtrack that accompanies the film. Cruella is filled with great music, ideally suited to the situation in which the characters find themselves. There are neither classic nor punk compositions here. Cruella’s showpiece is the song Florence and the Machine. The film also features classics from bands such as Queen, Bee Gees, The Doors and The Clash. However, in Cruella it is not only music that captivates. I am tempted to say that those responsible for the staging and make-up should be preparing thanks for the Oscar gala.
DVD release
The Galapagos publishing house offers us Cruella in three language versions: Polish, English and Czech. It is similar with subtitles, we have the aforementioned versions and an English version for the deaf. Remember, if you are interested in such flavors as acting bloopers or unused scenes, it is worth reaching for the Blu-ray release.
For an autumn evening under a blanket
If you have not decided to watch Cruella so far, it is worth reaching for the album and catching up. After watching the animation, it seemed to me that the label couldn’t create a meaner character than Cruella. After all, who normal wants little Dalmatians to die? However, the film Estella, from which Cruella was born, could really surprise me! It turns out that in cruelty (to which the name of the main character obliges) you can take a step further … I am a Disney addict, but I must admit that this is not a production that made me stuck in the armchair. After all, I will be happy to meet the main character again in the second part …