CRUELLA (2021)

Critic - No. 218

Director: Craig Gillespie

Written by: Dana Fox, Tony McNamara, Aline Brosh McKenna, Kelly Marcel, Steve Zissis

Produced by: Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, Gunn Films

Casts: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham

Language: English

Genre: Comedy, Crime


SYNOPSIS: 

Set in London during the punk rock movement of the 1970s, the film revolves around Estella Miller (Emma Stone), an aspiring fashion designer, as she explores the path that will lead her to become a notorious up-and-coming fashion designer known as Cruella de Vil.

 

REVIEW:

In 1996’s 101 Dalmatians, Glenn Close’s gleefully unhinged performance as a puppy-skinning fashion designer was a memorable affair which of course was treated more like a cartoonish supervillain with exaggerated antics.  Emma Stone’s Cruella de Vil is much more grounded to tell the backstory with fair shares of emotions and drama. 


Set in 1970s London against a backdrop of the emerging punk scene, this playful prequel by Craig Gillespie does try to engage us to sell an effective backstory that sometimes fumbles with familiar story threads. I understand that the film is set in the 70s and aims to bring us the nostalgia of older fantasies but the heavy predictability spoils the engagement level to a far extent and you can see the twist miles ahead. Even though the film is intended to be a family-friendly heist movie, the slow pace due to the subplots and draggy intricate costume scenes can test the patience of even a younger audience. 


Like Phantom Thread (2017) or Marie Antoinette (2006), it is an excellent fashion film, playing on the myth of the egocentric, detail-oriented genius. The cat-and-mouse play between Emma Stone and Emma Thompson is the most entertaining episode of the film where Estelle sabotages the couture fashion house headed by an icy narcissist named The Baroness.

The film also boasts some tastefully executed slapstick comedy and flamboyant production/costume design that somehow enthralls us more than the main conflict. Technically an arresting film, Cruella keeps you engaged with its charming lead pair but leaves you with a lingering question on whether the supervillain really needed a standalone film to justify her antics.



VERDICT:

Staggering to find its true purpose, Cruella is an overlong but entertaining watch thanks to Emma Stone’s charming performance and the enchanting, exuberant treatment.


CELLULOID METER- 3/5:








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