Cinderella (8/10): A refreshingly faithful adaptation by Kenneth Branagh that never loses its magic.

“I’ll have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer: Have courage and be kind.”

 

Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella isn’t much of a re-imagination of the classic Disney animated film as much as it is a straightforward live action retelling of the tale. In a time where we’ve seen several of Disney’s beloved classic stories being reimagined and told through a much darker light, Cinderella’s faithfulness to the familiar tale feels like a fresh of breath air. In papers it shouldn’t work, but surprisingly I found it way more engaging than Snow White and the Huntsman, Alice in Wonderland, and even Maleficent (which I actually ended up enjoying), all films which were told through new perspectives. Branagh is known for adapting well known literary works (specifically from Shakespeare) and once again he delivers through breathtaking and colorful visuals and surprisingly engaging characters. Sometimes it isn’t just about the story that is being told, but how you tell it, and Branagh is an excellent storyteller. He was able to take this very familiar tale and without introducing anything new to it, he still kept the audience magically engaged with the story. A lot of credit must be given to the fantastic cast and the astonishing visuals which turned this fairytale into a classical period piece. At times I felt like I was watching an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel with so much attention to the period details and wonderful costume designs. I’m sure this film will receive a couple of Oscar nominations in the production and costume design department because it is visually inspiring. I’ve only seen a dozen films released this year, but so far this is the best and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was emotionally engaged with the film. It is better than the beloved animated classic, which I wasn’t really a huge fan of.

Is it really necessary to check on the spoiler warning box for a straightforward adaptation of this classic tale? There aren’t any surprises in this screenplay adaptation from Charles Perrault’s fairy tale written by Chris Weitz (About a Boy). It basically follows a similar structure from Disney’s animated adaptation with perhaps a little more background on Cinderella’s parents (played by Ben Chaplin and Hayley Attwell). Cinderella is wonderfully and beautifully played by Lily James (who plays Lady Rose in Downtown Abbey) while her stepmother is brilliantly portrayed by Cate Blanchett. Her character may have seemed a bit cartoonish at times, but Blanchett sure knows how to wear fashion dresses. We do get some explanation as to why she behaves in such a cruel way so she does have some depth. The stepsisters however are completely cartoonish and deliver most of the laughs for young audiences. Drisella and Anastasia are played by Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger. The heart of the story however centers around the fantastic chemistry between Lily James’s Cinderella and the Prince played by Richard Madden (Rob Stark from Game of Thrones). The pair actually share a scene together before the ball that is really engaging and helps sell the love story. In order for the film to work it needs to have a believable love story and it does. Helena Bonham Carter also has a wonderful short scene as the Fairy Godmother, and Derek Jacobi does a convincing job as the King. Nonso Anozie is the Captain of the Palace, while Stellan Skarsgard plays the Grand Duke. Despite our familiarity with the story, the entire cast delivers and that allows the story to flow in a magical way.

My only complaint is that the message of the film “have courage and be kind” was repeated throughout the entire movie. We constantly were beaten over the head with it, but since this is a film geared towards a younger audience I understood why they did it. In a time where a lot of emphasis has been placed on being brave it is refreshing to be reminded about the power of kindness. Cinderella is given a strong female role here and it requires a lot of strength to be kind in the midst of such difficult trials. We may not have needed to hear the message so many times because we could see it through her actions. James portrayed this character in such a beautiful way and she is an actress with a bright future ahead of her. Cinderella is a much stronger character here than in the animated film; she’s not simply waiting for a prince to come and rescue her. She is strong and determined and when we finally see her first encounter with the Prince, it is she who has a greater influence in him than he does in her. The ball room scene is also magical and despite knowing every beat of the film I couldn’t help but feel invested and thrilled by the magical spell this warm film left me with. Cinderella is living proof that remaining faithful to a classic story isn’t such a bad idea after all.  

   

My Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (7/10)

"You're not just an analyst anymore, you're operational now."

The most famous and beloved CIA analyst, Jack Ryan, is back for the fifth time although now it's Chris Pine's turn to interpret the hero Tom Clancy first made famous in his novels. Pine brings a fresh and charismatic presence to his character's reboot. By no means is Shadow Recruit groundbreaking or memorable, but it still is a lot of fun and engaging. I was actually surprised I enjoyed it so much considering January releases are usually weak, but knowing that Kenneth Branagh was behind the camera did give me some hope. Jack Ryan slowly builds the tension and ends with a thrilling and gripping 30 minutes. There are many weak and cliched moments, but for the most part I was entertained. The supporting cast was also strong and Branagh played a decent villain, but my favorite performance was Kevin Costner's. The film's major flaws have to do with the way the plot was developed since there were many scenes where two characters are explaining the situation going on to each other and it's evident the scenes were only included so the audience could understand what was going on. But beside those forced scenes, this thriller managed to keep me entertained and I thought Pine was a convincing Jack Ryan.

We are introduced to Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) while he's studying at London School of Economics, but after the 9/11 attacks he decides to enlist and serve in Afghanistan as a Marine. During a routine mission his helicopter gets shot down and he's critically injured. As he undergoes rehab he meets Dr. Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley) and the two begin a relationship. Jack also attracts the attention of CIA agent Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) who decides to recruit Jack for his ability to recognize complex patterns. Harper convinces Jack to return to school and complete his Ph. D so he can become a broker in Wall Street and work undercover as a compliance officer looking for suspect financial transactions. Ryan discovers some suspicious activity involving a Russian organization through a fund controlled by Viktor Cheverin (Kenneth Branagh). For this reason Ryan travels to Moscow to investigate Cheverin's company and upon his arrival he isn't greeted too well. This is where the action and espionage games begin.

Chris Pine is a very charismatic actor; he proved it during the Star Trek reboot, and now he has done the same thing with Jack Ryan. He's also starred in other entertaining action films like Unstoppable alongside Denzel Washington holding up his own. Here he delivers once again playing a very convincing Jack Ryan. I actually enjoyed him more than Ben Affleck who played the same character, and despite not reaching the high standard set by Harrison Ford, I still thought he was great. Branagh is also a pretty bankable director and I enjoyed what he brought to this film. Jack Ryan may be a forgettable film, but one that manages to entertain you while you're at it.

My Review: My Week with Marilyn (6/10)

¨It's agony because he's a great actor who wants to be a film star, and you're a film star who wants to be a great actress. This film won't help either of you.¨

My Week with Marilyn is a biographical drama about Monroe`s trip to England to star in The Prince and the Showgirl, a film directed by Sir Laurence Olivier. The story is told through Colin Clark`s eyes, the young man who got his first job as the third assistant director of the film. He tells the story of his relationship with Marilyn during that week of production and how that moment changed his life. The film is actually based on his autobiographical book, and the screenplay was adapted by Adrian Hodges who worked in the past with director, Simon Curtis, in the adaptation of Charles Dickens`s novel, David Copperfield for a made for television movie. Curtis had some great actors to work with in this film, but I just felt the movie moved to slow. It is only a 99 minute long film, but it felt like two and a half hours because it lacks intensity and a decent plot. Fans of Marilyn Monroe will definitely love this film because Michelle Williams plays her brilliantly, but it just wasn’t my style of movie. People interested in art history or autobiographies may also enjoy this film which dates back to the mid 50`s when Marilyn was a film star and Sir Laurence Olivier was considered amongst the best actors of the world. The tumultuous relationship between Olivier and Monroe as he tries his best to keep his cool while directing her is also dealt with in this film. Monroe may have been a star, but she was always forgetting her lines and getting to work late making it impossible for Olivier to direct her. Not everything we see in film is as it seems and this movie proves it. A lot of headaches are involved sometimes in the production of big star films.

Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) is only 23, but he dreams of working in movies. His father is an important art historian, while his brother is always ahead of him. He feels like the failure in the family, so he decides to pack and travel to London for an important job interview involving the production of a film directed by Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and staring Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). Clark is hired as the third assistant director so he basically is the errand boy. Olivier`s wife, Vivien Leigh (Julia Ormond), likes Clark and asks him to keep an eye on her husband as he works with Monroe. The request is quite ridiculous because Olivier and Monroe don’t get along from the get go. The production of the film, The Prince and the Showgirl begins with several difficulties due to Marilyn`s behavior. Monroe hasn`t come alone to England, she is accompanied by her then third husband, Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), and her acting coach, Paula (Zoe Wanamaker). Olivier feels he can`t direct her with Paula always around trying to tell her how to read her lines. Both come from different schools of acting, and there are several jokes about this throughout the film. Dame Sybil Thomdike (Judi Dench) also has a role in the film and she is always treating Marilyn nicely. However, Marilyn finds it really hard to adapt and finds in Colin the friend she needs to make her stay more comfortable. Colin who then was dating a girl from the wardrobe department named Lucy (Emma Watson), begins to fall for Marilyn despite everyone`s warnings. This is the story of what happened during that week of production.

The cast in this film is probably the best thing about it. Let me begin by saying that Michelle Williams is just brilliant in this role that gave her her second consecutive Oscar nomination for lead actress. Williams has come a long way from her early teen Dawson`s Creek years. She has matured into one of Hollywood`s best. In this film you forget you are seeing someone playing Marilyn and actually believe it is her. Another great performance came from Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. He is just brilliant in this film and a great actor who has several similarities to the character he played. Just like Olivier, Branagh is passionate about Shakespeare and adapted several of his plays to the big screen. I could think of no better actor to play this role. Eddie Redmayne is the lead character of the film and he is good, but is completely outshined by Williams and Branagh. The rest of the characters don’t get nearly enough screen time and it is just a mystery as to why they were included in the film. Emma Watson has barely any screen time and her character is easily forgotten. The same can be said about the rest of the cast. The story is interesting but not entertaining enough for a feature film. I give this film a fresh rating however thanks in most part to the performances from Branagh and Williams. If you are a fan of any of these characters or actors than you might enjoy this film more than I did. Personally I never really was a big fan of Marilyn Monroe or her work.

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My Review: Thor (8/10)

¨Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.¨

With Thor, summer movies have officially started in Hollywood. It`s not one of my favorite seasons of the year for films, but if the rest of the movies can live up to what Kenneth Branagh has accomplished with Thor it will be an exciting and entertaining season at the movies. I wasn`t a huge fan of Thor before this movie came out, I wasn`t even expecting too much out of it, but I decided to go see it because he`s still one of The Avengers and I couldn`t miss out on all the propaganda that began with Iron Man. With each one of these films my expectations for The Avengers is rapidly building, and even Thor managed to win me over to his side. The first thing I can say about the movie is that it was entertaining enough for me to want to go see it twice in two days. The story, the visuals, the strong performance from two relatively unknown actors like Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are all factors that contribute to making this movie successful. Include Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins into the mix and you have an even better film. The directing had a lot to do with it as well because Kenneth Branagh is a serious and dedicated director; he has proven it time after time with his adaptations of Shakespearean plays. He was dedicated with this project as well; adapted this Marvel comic superhero and prepared him for the big screen. Like most every Marvel character, they are very well developed and the film is no exception remaining true to the comic.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) the god of Asgard. He is a great warrior and his father has been preparing him to be the future King of Asgard. It is no easy task because Asgardians are the keepers of the peace in all nine realms (Earth being one of those realms). They can travel from one realm to another through the bifrost which is guarded by Heimdall (Idris Elba). Odin saved Earth from extinction many centuries ago when the Frost Giants tried to destroy the planet. Odin defeated them and took away their power so they could no longer leave their planet, Jotunheimr. Odin has kept the peace during all these years but now it`s time to proclaim Thor as his heir to the throne. On the day of his proclamation something unexpected occurs and three Frost Giants manage to enter Asgard and almost steal the cube which holds their power. However The Destroyer does his job and kills the invaders before they can do any harm. Thor is furious and wants to give the Giants a lesson, but Odin wants to maintain peace and orders Thor to remain in Asgard. Against his father`s command Thor travels to Jotunheimr with his younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the 3 warriors: Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, and Sif (Jaime Alexander). Together they face the Giants who tell them there is a traitor in Asgard. Odin discovers that Thor disobeyed his command, rescues the warriors from the Frost Giants but vanishes Thor to Earth without his supernatural powers. In Earth Thor meets a group of scientists: Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and Darcy (Kat Dennings) who help him rediscover his path.

I can imagine how difficult it was to try to make a serious movie out of all this Norse mythology about the nine realms and so on, but Branagh pulls it off by combining humor with the story. For instance when the three warriors come to Earth to find Thor, the unbelievable situation is toned down with a lot of humor. The same can be said with the Destroyer when he arrives at Earth to try to destroy Thor. When the SHIELD agents first see this metal giant they believe it could be one of Stark`s creations. So whenever the plot seems to be getting ridiculous, the tone of the film is cooled down with a lot of humor. The funniest character is Darcy who with clever one-liners manages to steal most laughs. I liked Kat Dennings in Nick and Norah`s Infinite Playlist, but here once more she proves she is a talented actress. The true stars of the film however are Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hemsworth plays Thor to perfection, and Hiddleston is excellent as Loki. The scene where he realizes his true identity is perhaps one of the most dramatic and best acted sequences in the movie. I know we are being bombarded with a lot of superhero movies, but as long as they keep on making them this entertaining I have no problem with that. Thor is no Dark Knight, or even Iron Man for that matter, but it still is a very good film. I will end my review by quoting my six year old brother`s words after the movie ended: ¨I don’t want to have an Iron Man party for my birthday anymore. I want it to be Thor!¨  

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