Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
It looks like a visually beautiful film. There seem to be elements from plenty of other adaptations besides the Disney cartoon. I thought maybe they would dye Blanchett's hair gray like Lady Tremaine's and make her look a little bit older. She's only 16 years older than Sophie McShera, but it does not really matter so much. Helena Bonham Carter looks unrecognizable and her acting is very spot-on. Overall, I'm impressed.
Updated On: 11/26/14 at 10:46 AM
I thought it looked terrible. The sfx look really corny and the story looks like a redux of things we've seen a million times. It looks a like a TV movie.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/23/08
I think it looks amazing!!! I'm excited to see the expanded storyline. Most Cinderella movies begin once she's already a servant and we don't really get any backstory. In this, we get to see her mother, her father, how she gained a stepfamily, how she became a servant, and so on.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
I agree that the SFX looked bad. The production design is gorgeous though.
It seems strange that the prince and Ella have met before and yet he still needs to use the slipper to find her when she looked exactly the same during the ball. At least she was styled differently in the cartoon.
I really liked the trailer. Lily James looks so beautiful. I have always been such a fan of both Dante Ferretti's gifts as a production designer and Sandy Powell's costuming. The color palette is very much like the original animated film and I thinks that's also a cool way to adapt it as a live action film. Cate Blanchett looks like she is deliciously going for it, per usual. I have always loved the animated version. Such a good lesson on how to prepare for life's hating-ass-bitches.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Here is the new poster.
Something interesting I saw at the bottom is that Holliday Grainger's (Anastasia) name is listed on the bottom but not Sophie McShera's (Drizella). Maybe it's because McShera is not as well-known and Grainger. Grainger has been on some lists of future bright stars. This situation is also a little bit of reversal from the 1950 animated film. Rhoda Williams's, who voiced Drizella in the cartoon, had her name listed in the opening credits but Lucille Bliss's, who voiced Anastasia, name was not shown in the opening credits. She was never officially credited for the film until the 2005 Platinum Edition DVD added some new end credits.
Her ball gown is very underwhelming. It's all one solid color. Her hairdo's kinda blah, too. The point is she's supposed to make an entrance and leave everyone in awe. She just looks like your typical girl at her senior prom.
Furthermore, she looks to pristine to earn the name Cinderella. She doesn't look like a servant or dirty at all.
Meh. It looks like the same story we have been told time and time again. What is new about this? I didn't know Helen was in this. She is being...well....Helen. Cate looks great though. Too bad about that ball gown.
I couldn't disagree more with the dress looking blah. If you look at it, it is simple but have wonder subtle details into it. The skirt itself moves wonderfully and I love the butterflies on the shoulders.
This is all again just my opinion.
Luckily they summed up the whole film in that 1 minute trailer so I won't have to see it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/23/08
"Furthermore, she looks to pristine to earn the name Cinderella. She doesn't look like a servant or dirty at all."
I read a while ago from someone who had seen it that there is a good reason explained in the film on why she isn't as dirty as she could be.
"Luckily they summed up the whole film in that 1 minute trailer so I won't have to see it."
There's way more to the story than what was shown in the trailer. What they've done is taken the animated film, remove the singing and talking mice, and expand on the plot with backstory, character development, etc. For instance, Lady Tremaine has a whole backstory that explains why she is the way she is, and the Grand Duke is apparently another villain in the movie. I think it's still worth seeing.
As for the ballgown, I think she looks magnificent, but now that I recall, the only other Cinderella movie I feel like the character really stood out at the ball was in Ever After, where she was the only one in a vintage but fashionable gown, complete with fairy wings.
"Luckily they summed up the whole film in that 1 minute trailer so I won't have to see it."
Because you didn't know what CINDERELLA was about already?
For instance, Lady Tremaine has a whole backstory that explains why she is the way she is, and the Grand Duke is apparently another villain in the movie.
Oh, God! Don't tell me Lady Tremaine was drugged and violated by the Duke, who is now the true villain in this retelling?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/23/08
"Oh, God! Don't tell me Lady Tremaine was drugged and violated by the Duke, who is now the true villain in this retelling?"
Hahahaha! No, I don't think so. This might be a SPOILER, and I don't know how true this is, but apparently Lady Tremaine was a stepchild herself and was treated poorly. Also, her bitterness stemmed from marrying for love, then he died and she had to make her way in life. Obviously she didn't choose a nice way but still was handling it as she knew how. As for her cruelty towards Ella, apparently it's mostly jealousy over Ella's dad loving her more and Ella being more intelligent and prettier than the daughters. By the way, I don't find the stepsisters in this retelling ugly. They are quite pretty, but they are way overdone in their fashions and make up. Less is more.
CINDERELLA! This time...she's simpering!
Oh, Cate. How could you?
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Here is an interview with the costume designer, Sandy Powell.
http://www.vogue.com/4463911/cinderella-movie-2015-sandy-powell-costume-designer/
Plus, a few photos of the cast.
Those costumes are amazing!
I really, really trust Disney and Kenneth Branagh to make a good movie. I don't think anyone involved is there for the paycheck.
We do know this is a live version of the Disney masterpiece. It's only 60 minutes, if that. If it's shot for shot, I'm going to be pissed, but I don't think they're going that direction.
I LOVE Cinderella. LOVE IT. I used the rewind the transformation scene back and forth because I wanted the gown.
My parents were not surprised when I came out.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
"Oh, Cate. How could you?"
People probably asked her that question after she did 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', but being the classy person that she is I don't think she has any regrets. Jungle_Red is right. I doubt anyone involved with this project is in it for the paycheck. It's a timeless story. Also, it's been so many years since we've had a full-length theatrical film version and with the technology today, the magic and transformation sequences will look amazing.
I enjoyed the trailer except for the fact that Helenah Bonham Carter appears to be doing Bellatrix Lestrange as the Fairy Godmother.
To be fair, that's kinda what she always does..
Indeed it is. I've never understood her appeal.
Same.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
"To be fair, that's kinda what she always does.."
Aren't you forgetting her performance in 'The King's Speech'? She proved that she wasn't a one trick pony?
"I enjoyed the trailer except for the fact that Helenah Bonham Carter appears to be doing Bellatrix Lestrange as the Fairy Godmother. I've never understood her appeal."
Well, I think she's absolutely brilliant because when she's plays the villain, she looks like she having a complete blast doing it. She would not have gotten the role of Bellatrix had Helen McCrory not gotten pregnant before the filming for 'Order of the Phoenix' began. McCrory later got to play Narcissa Malfoy. So, it all worked out fine. Bonham Carter said she also did the role because of the great duel that her character and Molly Weasley were going to have in the final film. Rowling revealed that to her when she got the part.
I also think it's nice change of pace for her to play the good guy. If she played the Stepmother, then she would have been Madame Thenardier all over again. It would have been the second film where she forced a young girl living with her to do hard labor.
Updated On: 12/3/14 at 07:09 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Here's a new character poster featuring Blanchett, McShera, and Grainger.
Cate Blanchett Featured in All-New Artwork for Branagh's CINDERELLA
So some of you ask what's new? Why see the same old again?
Well, why get excited for the Into the Woods movie when you already have the home video of the original show? Why see a new production of Hamlet again? Why see new productions or re-tellings of anything?
Every new actor, every new director, every new designer, every new bit of technology brings something new to timeless stories we love to see over and over again. And sometimes we even like to see stories done the same way again with the same people and things it was done with before! Because it is good. Because it is enjoyable. Because it is wonderful.
And that's what this film looks like to me.
Oh, and JUNGLE RED YOU ARE AWESOME I am so much like you in my love for Cinderella! And degrassifan is also like me in my love for this story to a degree. All three of us wanted to make a live-action version of Disney's Cinderella! But you and me love the Disney animated one the best, in such similar ways! I re-watched the film so, so, so, so many times and re-wound the transformation so many times for not just the gown but all the magic, and this film looks like it will be very magical in that scene as well! :)
Updated On: 12/6/14 at 04:51 AM
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