The musical Cinderella is sure a one-time watch

Mona

The old order changeth, yielding place to new and such is Kay Cannon’s spin on arguably the most famous fairy tale – an old kingdom bound in tradition is simmering with intent for change. The Queen Beatrice (Minnie Driver) wouldn’t have her throne slightest bit shorter than that of King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan); their Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive) is full of ideas to run the kingdom better; and in a basement, a stepdaughter, Ella (Camila Cabello), is dreaming of being a seamstress! Yes, this old era still hasn’t given permission to women to run business.

Film: Cinderella 

Director: Kay Cannon

Cast: Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, Pierce Brosnan, Maddie Baillio, Charlotte Spencer, Tallulah Greive, James Acaster, James Corden, Romesh Ranganathan

Rating: **

They give birth, manage households, but sure can do business is what Ella thinks and even if there is ‘million to one’ chance, this fierce, funny, fine girl is ready to take it. The film opens on a high note. One loves the stereotypes being challenged; peppy music sets the tone, old and new worlds are juxtaposed, giving the old tale a fresh coat of paint. To see the Bond-turned-King being challenged is amusing; Camilla Cabello has earnestness in her act. Her crown prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) works super-hard, when drunk, to catch the fox; he is not just a mamma’s boy but only there to wreck the things.

But one’s got to keep it together and things change – for one Billy Porter is the fabulous Godmother, and why not. Though the ball least interests our protagonist, she goes there seeing it as an opening for her dressmaking business and gets the golden opportunity to travel around the world with Queen Tatiana (Beverley Knight), as her stylist. Oh yes, there is Prince too! Who would she choose? An answer we all know…

The kingdom, like the rest of the world today, is multi-racial. The writer-director Kay Cannon manages to make things interesting with a town-crier who raps; too beautiful a best friend; a man who cries, and a prince-turned-king who is not ashamed of wooing his upset queen by serenading down her window.

James Cordon as one of the three mice/footman tickles (he’s one of the producers too) the funny bone. Actors have their game right — Vivian (Idina Menzel) as the stepmother isn’t entirely dark, Nicholas Galitzine as crown prince looks every inch handsome, with his heart in the right place. But the high of the opening act wears-off amongst the ball and the predictable outcome. The old story at 113 minutes feels like a stretch.

A musical it is and forces one to tap the feet, so Ed Sheeran’s Perfect fits perfectly. Material Girl by Madonna, Million to One (Camila, Scott Harris), Somebody to Love (Freddie Mercury) and others, suit the situations. This Ella lives in a multi-racial world full of fierce women ready to topple the patriarchy, but with their love intact for fine gowns and fancy footwear; it sure makes for a one-time watch. Make your children see it, as many renditions of Cinderella are welcome! One misses watching it in the theatre with surround sound though. Streaming on Amazon Prime, the film would have pulled parents with children into cinemas in droves had the times been normal!