Cruella (2021) - Review

This piece was written for the Screen & Story Film Festival Blog.

When I first heard about the live-action origin story of infamous villain Cruella De Vil I have to admit I was skeptical. Having watched many of Disney’s remakes and been disappointed, I entered the halls of the dimly-lit cinema...yes, CINEMA... with an air of indifference. However, I am delighted to say I was left a changed woman; inspired and excited.

There were many commendable aspects of the film but if I must focus on a few it would be a healthy mixture of the casting, the plot and the costume. I often wish that films employed lesser-known actors for main roles as I sometimes find a well-known face to distract from the authenticity of a character. I wholeheartedly believe Emma Stone is a great actor but before seeing the film I wondered if it would have been more innovative to cast a fresh face; I was wrong. Except for a couple of minor accent slips, her performance in Cruella was splendidly sinister and compelling. As a huge fan of Glenn Closes’ rendition I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed watching Stone’s version. Stone was both relatable and extraordinary; a sympathetic victim as well as a maniacal villain. One scene I particularly enjoyed was the getaway driving scene where her inspiration was evidently drawn from the 1961 animation 101 Dalmatians. Yet it was not just Stone’s performance that I was impressed with but also that of Joel Fry (Jasper), Paul Walter Hauser (Horace) and Emma Thompson (The Baroness). The two ‘henchmen’ make a superbly comedic duo and Thompson’s character is perfectly candid and outrageous. Overall, the casting choice and actors performance in the film were fantastic. On another casting related note, I was pleased to see the roles of Jasper, Anita and Roger recast to enrich the ethnic diversity of the film. As for the plot, I hadn’t researched it beforehand and I am glad I didn’t as there were a couple of twists that ‘made’ the film for me. I won’t spoil anything for you, don’t worry. What I liked about this film in comparison to some of the other Disney retellings is that the plot felt truly new and fresh. Yes, there were glimpses of the 1961 animation and the 1996 live-action that had to come through for story continuity but all in all Cruella felt an entire world away from the others and I appreciated that. But, if you do stay to watch the post-credits scene then you will see how they cleverly circle back to the original 101 Dalmatians storyline. As origin stories go this one is perhaps one of my favourites so far alongside Maleficent (2014). The callous, competitive yet captivating inside of the fashion world works as the perfect setting for this budding villainess and it gave the film so many creative options to play with. As with any of Disney’s works there were moments that were slightly cliche and predictable but, for me, it didn't take away from the rest of the film as there were some other plot lines that I genuinely didn’t see coming. In conjunction with the casting and plot, the costumes were one of my favourite features of the film. As a story centered in the world of 1970’s London fashion, the costumes were an integral part of the motion-picture and I think they did an undeniably exquisite job. It was an absolute pleasure just to see what the various characters would be wearing or designing in the upcoming scene. One of the most ingenious moments of the film actually centers on an aesthetically beautiful yet intentionally destructive dress that Estella, or Cruella, designs in the film; another twist I did not expect. Kudos to the ten-time academy award nominee (for costume design) Jenny Beavan as her role in this particular film was paramount to both the story and flamboyance of the film and she executed it brilliantly. Overall, I would deem this Disney prequel a huge success and gave it a rating of seven out of ten on IMDb. I am intrigued to see whether it is nominated for any awards and was unsurprised to learn that a sequel has already been given the greenlight. I guess that means that Cruella’s schemes are not yet over!