Cinderella (PG)

Orphan Ella is confined to the cellar by her twice-widowed stepmother, Vivian, who intends to marry her girls to rich suitors such as ogling nobleman Thomas Cecil. Ella busies herself with sewing and stitching to realise a dream of opening a dressmaking business. She fashions a frock for the royal ball hosted by King Rowan and Queen Beatrice in honour of their son Prince Robert. When Vivian intentionally ruins the handmade gown, a Fabulous Godmother waves a wand to make dreams come true.

LondonNet Film Review
Cinderella (PG)

Orphan Ella (Camila Cabello) is nicknamed Cinderella by obnoxious stepsisters Malvolia (Maddie Baillio) and Narissa (Charlotte Spencer) “because her skin was often besmirched by cinders”. The waif is confined to the cellar by her twice-widowed stepmother, Vivian (Idina Menzel), who intends to marry her girls to rich suitors such as ogling nobleman Thomas Cecil (Rob Beckett). Ella busies herself with sewing and stitching to realise a dream of opening a dressmaking business…

She fashions a frock for the royal ball hosted by King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan) and Queen Beatrice (Minnie Driver) in honour of their son Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) so he might choose a regal bride. Alas, Vivian intentionally ruins the handmade gown. As Ella sobs alone, a Fabulous Godmother (Billy Porter) descends with magic wand in hand to grant the girl’s wish, caveated with one firm instruction: “When the clock strikes midnight – run!”

Opening with a mash-up of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation and Des’ree’s You Gotta Be, Cinderella is an effervescent musical reworking of the rags-to-riches fairytale for The Greatest Showman generation. Kay Cannon, writer of the Pitch Perfect films and award-winning scribe on 30 Rock, ventures behind the camera for a second time, adding a strong feminist twang to the conventional love story. She introduces Prince Robert’s feisty sister Gwen (Tallulah Greive), who is denied a chance to rule by her gender and is ahead of her time in proposing the kingdom should be powered by the wind not fossil fuels.

Cabello is an instantly likeable and sympathetic heroine, who refuses to surrender her entrepreneurial spirit to matrimonial bliss. She spars note-for-note with Menzel. The two female leads co-write their original solos, Million To One and Dream Girl, while fellow cast harmonise on a jukebox soundtrack that rifles through Ed Sheeran, En Vogue, Madonna, Nico & Vinz, Queen and The White Stripes. James Corden, also a producer, attempts to shamelessly scene-steal as a mouse-turned-footman alongside Romesh Ranganathan and James Acaster, but he overeggs his part in the sticky sweet pudding.

– Kim Hu