Cruella (2021)

The strange thing about coming out of the cinema after seeing Cruella was that I sensed disappointment despite the fact that I enjoyed it as much as I had expected to. This sounds like criticism, but actually it's anything but. I will try to explain. Some of Cruella is so good, that the bits that let it down diminish more than they probably normally would do. As someone who knows the animated (and live action) Dalmation films very well, the little nods (and post credit scene) were a hugely welcome addition to the film. But it's the invention here that is really stunning, and that's mainly due to the fashion department. I know nothing about fashion, but some of the fabric on display is nothing short of staggering; the film will surely be up for all sorts of awards in that respect come the season. In the second half of the film there are some fashion show montages which are spectacularly stunning, but they also add to the story and are key to it. The origin story of Cruella is easily the best live action adaptation of a Disney film that I've seen thus far (not that the competition has been too stiff) complete with some very impressive cinematography; one scene early on that follows the workings of the Liberty Department Store right through to the bathroom where Estella (Emma Stone, soon to become Cruella) has just started working as a cleaner is particularly memorable. Stone is terrific as Estella/Cruella, it is essentially two characters and she pulls them both off with aplomb. However, the carpet is pulled from under her and indeed the rest of the cast (some good, some not so good) by the utter, utter genius of Emma Thompson. We all know how good she is, but this is another career highlight. Her entrance into the film is the funniest scene of the year so far, and after that there's no stopping her, she nearly steals the film completely away from Cruella; it's to Stone's great credit that she matches her. What is a shame then, for a film that shows so much invention that it falls badly down in its music choices. The supposedly punky look of the film claimed by some is curious considering the dull classic rock choices that blare out during certain sequences, even if they are all cover versions. We know how good Led Zeppelin are, what we don't need is to hear their greatest hits yet again. One of the final fashion show sequences is particularly guilty; Cruella's two henchman/friends are suddenly blaring out The Stooges 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' in a park in London. Yeah, it's great song, but how many times have we heard it, and that irritation isn't helped by the scene just making no sense at all. If Horace and Jasper are such good musicians, their life path up until that suddenly makes no sense at all. These scenes and songs are supposed to be fun, but because of what the film has done so well up until that point, it really took me out of it. So, in summary, Cruella has made an excellent fist of an origin story, with some absolutely top class performances (that are good enough to make you overlook some of the poor comic relief characters) and what it does well, it does so well that you really notice when it dips below par. Absolutely worth a watch, even if it's also a tad overlong. 7.3/10