Movies For Breakfast CRUELLA Review

Emma Stone shines in this energetic Disney Villain origin story.

Synopsis

Estella, a young grifter who pursues a fashion career, serves under the chic and vile Baroness von Hellman. Their relationship marks the beginning of Estella’s transition into the villainous Cruella de Vil.

Review
Not all villain origin stories are lauded. Some are great like Brightburn, some are underwhelming like Hannibal Rising. Luckily enough, “Cruella” finds itself in the former category. We follow Estella as a young outcast – born with her hair black on one side, white on the other; getting in multiple fights and being expelled from school. After tragedy strikes, our young protagonist joins a duo of young robbers named Jasper and Horace. From here, we cut to Estella in her adult years, landing an assistant gig with the Baroness von Hellman (a terrific, wicked Emma Thompson).

The best thing about an origin story, hero or villain, is that it gives the storyteller ample opportunity to bring forth the event and/or character that made the central character who they are today. It can sometimes be better for the story’s sake to have a character serve as the impetus for a hero/villain’s transition rather than an event. The Baroness von Hellman is the Ra’s al Ghul to Cruella’s Bruce Wayne, the Obi Wan Kenobi to her Anakin Skywalker. Estella envies the Baroness but also aims to be better than her and defeat her as a fashion idol. She works for Hellman by day and secretly dons the alter ego of Cruella by night, throwing dueling fashion exhibits across the street or near Hellman’s events. But a passive enemy the Baronness is not. Part of what makes the Baronness such a compelling villain in this film is her intimidating presence in every scene as well as her connection to Estella’s past tragedy. Thompson portrays this character with a performance that is as much fashionably iconic (soon to be, at least) as it is stunningly vile. She chews scenery with her fierce scowl and even fiercer walk into frame. Stone is equally entertaining in the lead role as she bring a perfect mixture of spunk, world-class charisma and a twist of madness to the role of Estella/Cruella.

The film builds the transition from Estella to Cruella very well. Director Craig Gillespie carries us through Estella’s rise (as well as some falls) with electric transitions, an engaging pace and solid character development. Stone expertly performs the transition of madness well as Cruella soon makes herself a bittersweet product of tragedy and revenge. There is a scene near the climax of the film where Stone performs a well-done monologue where the transition becomes complete – her face slipping from somber awareness to deranged determination. The twists and turns in this story are handled well and keep the film plausible while also trusting the audience to use suspension of disbelief during some moments. And then there’s the music. I truly believe every great 70s song that ever existed was presented and approved in the editing bay as it seems like a great hit is played every 10 minutes (this is a 134 minute film, more on that later). The bass and lyrics hit with each monologue and moment of suspense, drama and comedy.

As engaging as this film is, the film well exceeds it’s necessary running time. Its 134 minutes could be cut down to 100 minutes at most. This leaves for plenty of filler in certain moments of the film. Some monologues go on for too long, some moments of forced dramatic gravitas could be cut in half, some subplots…are just not needed. And, there’s the topic of Cruella’s crazed love/hate for Dalmatians. With the exception of a tragic scene that involves barking mad Dalmatians, Cruella’s eventual hate for the canine breed is TOUCHED on but not really explained. Such a non-expanded theory may make a film like Cruella unnecessary but its entertainment value thankfully can outweigh its meaning.

Closing Thoughts
Cruella is an entertaining villain origin story. It’s mix of Devil Wears Prada meets Pink Floyd’s The Wall makes for a fresh, original vision of a beloved villain. Even though the film may (not so rightfully) end with its main character being more of a misunderstood hero than an iconic anti-hero, the film still shines as a well-executed entry in the Disney prequel canon.

Trailer