REVIEW: Camila Cabello’s Re-Imagined Cinderella Misses the Note
The classic story of Cinderella is one that has been shared and revamped many times over the years. Whether it be in book or movie form, everyone has their own preferred version of the tale of a peasant girl who falls in love with Prince Charming and tying them together is an awesome pair of glass slippers. Now director/writer Kay Cannon is releasing her own musical version of the fairytale; unfortunately this iteration may not be for everyone.
In Cannon’s version, Ella (Camila Cabello) is still the maid to her stepmother Vivian (Idina Menzel) and her two stepsisters, Anastasia (Maddie Baillio) and Drizella (Charlotte Spencer). Ella dreams of a life where she’s no longer a maid, a life where she is an acclaimed dress designer. She dreams of owning her own shop in town, Designs by Ella, and she has no idea how to make this happen. It isn’t until she comes across Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) that Ella begins to believe her dreams could become a reality. Like most Cinderella tales, she will have to overcome her “evil” stepmother and the meddling King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan) if she intends to see her dreams officially become reality.
This version of Cinderella attempts to blend the old with the new. Set in an idyllic medieval town, the costumes and set make it feel as if you’re viewing a more classic rendition of the fairytale, perhaps Disney’s 2015 live-action Cinderella. The mindset and musical selections bring a more modern feel to the movie. This effort to update the tale ends up hindering the overall tone of the film. Ella’s dream is a sound one, she’s looking for a career to make her dreams come true instead of a man. Cannon misses the mark by then not capitalizing on these elements and opting to fall back into the same tropes. Ella’s dream of her own shop is pushed to second behind her and the prince finding love.
The music and musical numbers selected for this film also completely distract from the medieval feel. With a mix of modern pop songs and original songs, the music does nothing to elevate the story. The choreography felt unnatural coming from the townsfolk, while the songs were often a mismatch for what was being displayed. The two original songs written for the movie were the most solid, but it was Cabello’s original song, “Million to One” that ends up being the only song that elevates the story. It felt natural for her character to be singing it as she wandered through town and ran alongside a hillside. It was also the song that I kept singing pieces from when all was said and done.
Cabello brings to life the iconic fairytale character and does well with the musically focused scenes in the movie. She was most comfortable and playing to her strengths during the musical performances, the standalone scenes when acting took center stage were where she most struggled. Menzel took on the role of Cinderella’s stepmother and the wickedness this character has invoked in past renditions was missed in this version. Her character was portrayed as someone who wanted to help Cinderella; although, her method was to show Ella the harsh realities of the world rather than previous evil stepmothers who operated solely out of pure evil.
Billy Porter plays Cinderella’s Fab G, her fairy godmother and is not in it enough. Fab G pops in for the classic scene of preparing Ella for the ball and then is not seen again, which was a real shame. Nicholas Galitzine, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, and Tallulah Greive round out the cast as the prince, king, queen, and princess respectively. It was Driver’s Queen Beatrice and Greive’s Princess Gwen that stole the show for me. Their characters intrigued me and left me wishing we could dive deeper into their stories.
Is this more modern musical version of Cinderella the best version? No. Fans of Cabello will definitely enjoy this movie from start to finish, as will families with little kids. Everyone else may want to sit this one out. If you are looking for a Cinderella movie to check out, either go with the classic 1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical starring Julie Andrews movie or opt for the animated Disney route.
Grade: C