Review of 'Cruella'

cruella.jpg Telling the back story of “Cruella de Vil” the villain from “101 Dalmatians” we learn that teenage Estella had a dream of becoming a fashion designer. Her mother Catherine (Emily Beecham) supports her daughter but when attending a party hosted by Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) the Baroness' Dalmatians run Catherine over the cliff. Feeling that she has some how contributed to her mother's death, Estella flees to London where she becomes a petty thief with the help of two street children Jasper and Horace. Years later Estella (Emma Stone), Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) are still petty thieves. Jasper and Horace surprise Estella with an “entry level” job at “Liberty” a stylish London department store. Estella's talent is wasted as she works at washing floors and cleaning toilets with her manager refusing to listen to her ideas on how to improve their shop windows. One night a drunk Estella works her magic on the main window which results in her dismissal but also in the Baroness hiring her as a designer. Closer to her dream, Estella slaves tirelessly for the Baroness but soon discovers that the Baroness may be the one responsible for her mother's death after all so plots her revenge as the rebellious fashion rebel “Cruella”…

I was not quite sure I would like this film but found it an absolute, if somewhat dark, delight. The origins of the truly nasty “Cruella de Vil” who famously wanted to steal the 101 Dalmatians to make herself a coat shows a talented designer tragically twisted by fate. It is clever the way this film weaves in the various aspects of the character including the reason why she has such a deep hatred for Dalmatians (though, confusingly, for much of the film she actually likes them).

Stone here is amazing as the conflicted and wonderfully wicked Cruella struggling to have her voice heard and at the same time reek her revenge. The flamboyant nature of the character is brought to colourful life on the screen as Stone chews up the scenery though this is an often uneven performance with a character that never entirely squares with the truly evil Cruella of 101, but it is certainly highly entertaining and incredibly imaginative (despite the rather predictable ending) though the story itself is fairly simple. This is a gift of a role for Stone allowing her to play a huge range of roles in a single, twisted, character.

Twisted though Cruella is, Thompson as the Baroness is of an altogether different level, not afraid to resort to murder and mayhem to further her ambitions. It is an amusing twist to see Cruella being the goodie while the Baroness steps in as a much worse character. It is the way the stone-faced Baroness is so coolly calculating with no hesitation at brutality that is the most shocking. Thompson is absolutely brilliant in the role.

Dark, yes, amusing and funny, absolutely, and very, very watchable despite some inconsistencies in the characters.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2024-06-30


Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Year: 2021

Length: 134 minutes

Genre: Melodrama

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3228774/