Cruella
Starring: Emma Stone, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emma Thompson
Directed By: Craig Gillespie
Rated: PG-13
It’s that time of year again. Time for a review of another Disney live-action movie. This time around, it’s not a direct revamp of one of their classics like Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, or Cinderella. Instead, it’s an origin story of one of the most wicked villains, Cruella De Vil. Except she didn’t start as Cruella. She started as Estella, a mischievous girl with a love for fashion design. A tragic event turned Estella’s world upside down, leaving her to scrape by with thieves, Jasper and Horace. Estella dreams of fashion design. When she is offered a job at a local department store, her talents are recognized by The Baroness (Emma Thompson), the most famous fashion designer in London. It seems her dreams could really come true. But a shocking realization will lead her down a path to revenge and soon the world will say goodbye to Estella and hello to Cruella.
Cruella is a genre-bending film that’s a little bit Devil Wears Prada, a little bit Oceans Eleven and a little bit Joker. There’s a lot going on in this Disney origin story, but I have to say it certainly entertained me. It’s a wild ride of twists and turns that doesn’t stop until the end. Director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) certainly has a signature style in his films. Most recently, it’s been taking on the outcast “bad” woman in society. While I prefer I, Tonya, to Cruella, the films do share some similar directorial choices. Most notably, the music choices throughout the film. Gillespie has a love of rock music that runs rampant throughout the film. There are several needle drops that work perfectly in Cruella to set the tone for the 70s setting. Yet, there are moments that I couldn’t help but feel like the constant musical cues were a little too much. I love a great soundtrack as much as anyone, but to have songs play for 15 seconds only to cut immediately to another song gets old in a movie that’s over 2 hours. It feels a little bit like a music video.
Emma Stone as Cruella. Photo Courtesy of Disney
Everyone is well cast here, and it seems like they’re having a fun time. Emma Stone is, obviously, the standout. She balances the fine line of playing Estella and Cruella, Estella being the more reserved personality who attempts to tone down her wild side in order to fit in with society. Then Stone showcases the madness that slowly creeps in as the film continues. Stone is campy, wild, and energetic, putting on a dramatic British accent and modeling punk fashion as Cruella. Underneath all the over-the-top style and two-toned hair, there’s a pretty great performance here that has some surprisingly layered emotional beats. The backstory of Estella is both intriguing and emotional with Stone keeping the viewer invested. Never doubt Emma Stone because she is always going to give a wonderful performance.
Emma Thompson is The Baroness, the snobby narcissistic designer who only cares about herself. She gives off major Miranda Priestly energy. I was ready for her “That’s all” moment at any time. The Baroness won’t allow anyone to compete with her in the world of fashion. When Cruella shows up on the scene, there’s some tension, to say the least. Emma Thompson gives a memorable performance with some unexpected twists and turns.
Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry are Horace and Jasper, Estella’s two best friends/partners in crime (literally.) The two always seem to be involved in hijinks whenever they’re on screen. They bring humor to some points when things get a little dark. There are other scenes with the two that definitely verge into slapstick territory. However, they’re fun members of the supporting cast.
The film is a stylistic blast. Cruella takes place in 1970s London, and there’s great attention to detail in every scene. This is a movie focused on fashion, and the costumes are a major highlight of Cruella. There’s a great juxtaposition of The House of Baroness’ costumes which are more old fashioned “classic” fashion than Cruella’s wild and whimsical designs. It’s a blast to see all of the costume choices in the red carpet/ball sequences. I wish some of those scenes weren’t brushed past so quickly so we could get more of a look at the dresses. Costume designer Jenny Beaven did a wonderful job creating the looks that encapsulate Cruella’s 1970s punk London vision and the Baroness’ more restrained view of fashion.
Ultimately, I feel that this could’ve been a shorter movie. At 2 hours and 14 minutes, there are several repetitive heists and montage sequences that could be cut without any issues.
Cruella could benefit from a bit more editing and drop a few musical cues, but this origin story is like Disney’s punk 70s Devil Wears Prada. If that interests you, I think you’ll have a good time with this movie. It’s a stylish and entertaining origin story that will keep you invested.
My Rating: 7/10