“Cruella” Review
Emma Stone delivers one of her best performances since 2016’s “La La Land” and 2018’s “The Favourite” as Estrella who, over the course of the film becomes the villainous Cruella de Vil.
With Disney constantly disappointing me with their live-action remakes and sequels of classic films, I was almost ready to give up when I saw the trailer for “Cruella” which looked like a rip-off of 2019’s smash-hit “Joker.” However, I can safely say that not only is “Cruella” the best of these Disney live-action films, which isn’t that difficult considering the lineup, but it is one of the most daring films Disney has put out in a long time with a strong cast and brilliant visuals that demand it be seen on the big screen.
A prequel to the film “101 Dalmatians,” the film is set in 1975 and sees an aspiring fashion designer named Estella (Emma Stone) become the protegee of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson): London’s hottest fashion designer and a cruel woman who pushes Estella to her absolute limits. When she finds out that the Baroness has wronged her in the past, Estella enlists the help of her friends Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry) to challenge the Baroness through an elaborate series of crimes, eventually becoming the psychopathic villain Cruella de Vil.
Unlike most of these films, “Cruella” doesn’t rely on the existence of “101 Dalmatians” or its 1996 remake starring Glenn Close as Cruella. Instead, the film has a self-contained story with only a few references to the original film which distinguishes it from anything Disney has made recently.
As a fan of Disney animation, I have no strong feelings towards the original “101 Dalmatians.” It’s a perfectly fine film with a bunch of cute puppies. However, Cruella de Vil (voiced by Betty Lou Gerson) has become a pop culture icon due to her bizarre hair color and a murderous love for fur coats, resulting in a memorable villain in an otherwise serviceable film. As for Glenn Close, her performance in the 1996 remake is so over-the-top that I have no choice, but to love it.
Emma Stone blows the others out of the water and cements her as one of my favorite actors of all time. Since Cruella starts out the film as the more mild Estella, Stone’s performance is much more layered as she has to portray a likeable anti-hero while also displaying a more wicked edge that will begin to dominate her character. When Estella starts working for the Baroness and starts plotting against her, Stone has to act innocent while also conveying a secret desire to cause chaos which sounds so difficult that I hesitate to imagine it.
Speaking of talented Emmas, Emma Thompson’s performance as the Baroness is unbelievably cruel in the most delightful way. Imagine “The Devil Wears Prada’s” Miranda Priestly (played by the marvelous Meryl Streep) if she sold her soul to Satan to become just as evil as him and that’s the type of character that Thompson brings to life. When Stone and Thompson are in the same room, it’s a fantastic whirlwind of talent.
Assisted by Horace (Left) and Jasper (Right), Estrella takes on the world of fashion in an aggressive manner as her villainous alter ego Cruella.
When entering the world of crime, Estella takes on the help of thieves and punks to bring down the Baroness including Jasper and Horace who also serve as her surrogate family. While their animated counterparts were the stereotypical “sly, skinny type” and the “fat, slow type,” much more dimension is added to their characters this time around as they are more than just mere henchmen.
The crew is also joined by Artie (John McCrea), a character invented for the film, who embodies the punk fashion of 1975 by looking and acting like a mix of David Bowie and Johnny Rotten while also helping Estella with her fashion which she uses to make social statements as the villainous Cruella.
Director Craig Gillespie, whose previous work includes “Lars and The Real Girl” and “I, Tonya,” does a marvelous job helming the film and gives it a sense of liveliness that is missing from most of these live-action Disney remakes. Gillespie loves to show off the incredible visuals of the film and often uses tracking shots as opposed to cutting to different shots to create a more energetic production.
The film’s atmosphere completely immersed me in 1975 with lovely costumes (which fits since that’s what Cruella lives for), a grimy but exciting atmosphere and a rocking soundtrack with tracks by The Clash, Queen, The Rolling Stones and covers of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.
With the punk scene being at the forefront of 1975 London, it seems bizarre to try and turn Cruella de Vil into a punk icon. However, it strangely works as her mission to dismantle the Baroness’ establishment fits perfectly with the punk philosophy. It also plays to the film’s dark tone and its use of comedy which makes “Cruella” truly earn its PG-13 rating. While the film can definitely be enjoyed by children, in the same manner as “The Goonies” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” there’s more than enough maturity to make this film palatable for adult audiences.
However, the biggest problem of the film lies in its plot. While most of the film’s story moves very nicely in its two hour and 14 minute runtime, sometimes mounds of exposition are dropped quickly without the proper time to sink in. But the merits of “Cruella” far outweigh its miniscule flaws.
While currently available for Premier Access on Disney+ at the cost of $30, this film deserves to be seen on the big screen due to its breathtaking imagery and incredible performances by talented actors. This is the kind of film Disney ought to be making when updating their classic films and viewers need to let Disney know that with their wallets. If you’re vaccinated and/or are comfortable watching a film at the multiplex, “Cruella” is a despicably good time.
