REVIEW: Cruella

The train of Disney remakes typically inspires little awe from the cinephilia elite, but the studio's latest offering, "Cruella," shows more curiosity and ambition than the standard plug and chug reboot. This may have just been Bob Iger checking 1961's "101 Dalmatians" off the list of properties to exploit, but with the film's clever design, writing, and performances, director Craig Gillespie accidentally made the rare remix worth a second glance.

This prequel tracks the devilish diva's history all the way back to her childhood. When primary school-aged "Estella" witnesses the death of her doting mother, her fiery, nonconformist spirit becomes her greatest asset. This will carry her into adulthood when she finally assimilates herself into the alluring world of fashion and the path of the indominatable "Baronness" who holds a strangling grip on the landscape. Their odd mentorship melts into something twisted and volatile as Estella adopts the persona of "Cruella" in order to meet The Baronness on the runway. Oh, and there are dalmatians.

Though the film signals its ties to the 1961 animated film throughout, the narrative of this film is built from the ground up. What follows is the most bizarre assortment of dresses this side of Lady Gaga, and a chain of events that actually keeps the viewer guessing. Some twists are more covert than others, but Cruella DeVil can sleep soundly knowing she gets a more fascinating origin story than Darth Vader.

The sharpness of the writing comes out in the dialogue as well, which itself is only enlivened by the balanced performances of the actors. One less drop of confidence from any of the cast and they would trip over the absurdity of it all. It's a team effort with performers like Mark Strong, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Joel Fry, and Paul Walter-Hauser all putting in just the proper helping of insanity.

The centerpiece of the film, though, is the duel of the Emmas, with Stone setting her sights against Thompson, with whom her relationship becomes only more intricate as the madness ensues and the dresses and dogs start flying. I'm not prepared to say that no one could have played the role of The Baronness like Thompson, but there's no doubt that she could stare down a giant hawk with the unblinking fire she shows here.

Meanwhile the energy coming from Stone is so loose yet so confident. Stone relishes the poisonous eccentricity of her character, yet she also allows peeks of vulnerability to cameo at the appropriate cue. This is a Cruella who has hopes and disappointments.

The movie is overall clever with how it threads together the demands of a sympathetic protagonist with the legacy of the character its capturing. It certainly shows much more nuance and intelligence than Disney's own "Maleficent," the remake this film most resembles on paper. By not keeping her behind the fence of "misunderstood idealist too good for this world," the film actually plays in shades of grays and grants her a real character arc.

Just so, the movie's twisted morality does back itself into a corner. The movie questions vengeance as a motivation often enough to remind the audience that Cruella's still sympathetic, but it can't help but admit that vengeance is alright as long as it's only a little and as long as you're wearing killer fashion.

"Cruella" may or may not be the best Disney remake thus far, but it is the most interesting and raises the bar for what we should be asking from this parade.

--The Professor

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