Cert U
113 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very mild scenes of emotional upset
I had delayed watching Disney’s Cinderella because I struggled to imagine new life being breathed into such a well-known story.
But I should have had no such fears – director Kenneth Branagh does a fine job with a zestful retelling of this traditional tale.
Downton Abbey’s Lily James plays the grown-up Cinders after the film briefly skirts through her blissful childhood with loving parents.
But, in early adulthood, she finds herself orphaned and being treated as a servant by her wicked step-mother (Cate Blanchett) and shallow step-sisters (Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera).
Blanchett is wonderfully over-the-top in verbally trampling over Cinderella while promoting the wild ambitions of her daughters.
Her performance is matched, albeit briefly, by Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother who makes sure Cinders can go to the ball.
Branagh’s film keeps the foundation of its time-honoured plot but throws in a power-crazy duke (Stellan Skarsgard) and enhances the role of Cinderella’s humble father (Ben Chaplin).
And there is some typically magical Disney animation which lifts the movie.
But the romance of our heroine and the prince (Richard Madden) is still at its centre and will melt the hearts of small children and big ones too.
Cate Blanchett: "When you play someone who has wicked in front of her name you know it's going to be fun. I was too old for Cinderella and I'm not funny enough to be the Fairy Godmother, so I got what was left over."
Reasons to watch: A zestful retelling of a wonderful story
Reasons to avoid: If you are hard of heart
Laughs: a couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8/10
Reasons to watch: A zestful retelling of a wonderful story
Reasons to avoid: If you are hard of heart
Laughs: a couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8/10