Worth: $15.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, Emily Beecham, John McRea
Intro:
…the bespoke balance of light and darkness is rocked with such utmost confidence and poise that it looks absolutely fabulous.
Seeing Disney announce another live-action remake of a classic IP is like seeing a beloved celebrity trending on social media: as soon as it catches the eye, there’s a sinking feeling that something horrible has just occurred. What started out as a potentially interesting attempt at postmodern self-reflection on the studio’s part has become soured by the presence of recent duds (Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King) and even the better ones haven’t crossed the threshold into ‘vital’ territory as of yet. But if there is any goodwill left out there for these re-dos, if it can be condensed into one last burst of optimism that something will go right, then it should be directed towards Cruella, because the Haus of Maus might actually be onto something here.
Cruella is cut from the same cloth as Maleficent in its character-redefining mission statement, with Emma Stone delivering the best Eva Green performance she never gave as an anti-hero Cruella, but dyed with surprisingly darker colours.
Cruella’s backstory may have its sticking points (the reworking of the dalmatians struts right up to the edge of desperation), but in pitting Cruella’s Vivienne Westwood-isms against Emma Thompson as the deliciously narcissistic Baroness, the depiction of fashion-punk revenge is as garish and well-frocked as it is murky and psychological.
Just as the actors have been well-picked (including another show-stealing turn from Paul Walter Hauser), those behind the camera are also ideal. Director Craig Gillespie gets to deconstruct the image of a pop culture villain as he did with I, Tonya, writer Tony McNamara gets to poke at the obscenity of the rich upper class a la The Favourite and The Great, and co-writer Dana Fox breaks out the same sense of pointed but ultimately light-hearted subversion that made Isn’t It Romantic watchable.
Add to that the kind of costume design that outright demands academic attention, and imagery that cross-breeds Baz Luhrmann and Derek Jarman like they’re peanut butter and chocolate, and it’s just enough to override the insidious soundtrack.
Admittedly, Disney banking on the punk rock aesthetic is bound to raise eyebrows in a ‘Kendall-Jenner-selling-Pepsi’ kind of way, and there’s a definite Dumbo-esque feeling of Emmanuel Goldstein chicanery involved. But it’s a testament to the skills of everyone in attendance that even that becomes a non-issue before too long. Even with the slightly-overlong running time and the aforementioned soundtrack salad, this represents a major turning point for the Disney remakes.
Cruella contains an aesthetic wholly of its own design, rather than just the same Chanel suit being altered ad infinitum, and while the story still has its recognisable elements (it shares a story credit with The Devil Wears Prada and it shows), the bespoke balance of light and darkness is rocked with such utmost confidence and poise that it looks absolutely fabulous. Kind of like Cruella’s hair.
