Ignoring the title and my usual lead in because I am simply entirely too excited to jump into this while it’s still fresh on my mind. So, I watched Cruella yesterday, the live action version with Emma Stone, to clarify, and I…
LOVE. IT. SO. MUCH.
I could literally rant about this movie for actual hours and never get enough. This is a genuine “I could quite literally watch this every day for the rest of my life and never get enough of it” situations people. This is like, woah, my new favorite piece of cinema.
Backstory: Orphaned by tragedy at a young age, Estella joins up with thieves Jasper and Horace for their lives, eventually landing herself a job with the woman of fashion herself, the Baroness. There, she discovers what really happened to her mother and resolves to tear the Baroness’s life apart, etc. etc. watch to find out, I can’t really explain much more without spoilers.
Okay, to get into it. First things first, the costuming in this movie is quite literally to die for (that’s a joke you’ll get if you’ve seen it). Egotistical maniac though she may be, the Baroness dresses in a way that is absolutely beyond this world, and Cruella’s outfits top hers every time, which makes them so incredible they can hardly be described. This will come off as slightly confusing and maybe even concerning to someone who hasn’t seen the movie, but I don’t care I have to say it. I would hands down destroy the globe if I got to wear that garbage dress she wore towards the middle of the movie. It is simply of an otherworldly beauty to me, as are each and every one of Cruella’s outfits, and that’s no exaggeration.
Secondly, the acting. The Baroness was cast with the best possible actress of Emma Thompson. She plays the roll phenomenally, and it’s no easy one to play. She has these subtle little mannerisms that showcase the Baroness’s inner fear of losing her grip on her glamorous life of such high stakes, which is expert level acting. Then there’s Emma Stone playing Cruella, showcasing perfectly not only the switch back and forth between Estella and Cruella, but also the inevitable and permanent snap between the two, resulting in Cruella De Vil. It’s truly amazing to watch, and just that journey alone is one of the many reasons that necessitate the many rewatches I’ll be doing in my life. Not to mention the acting done by Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as they showcase what Jasper and Horace must have felt when they saw their lifelong friend slipping away. Astounding acting, all around.
Then there’s the actual plot itself. Not even touching on the many well executed and game changing plot twists, which I won’t disclose out of courtesy, the way with which the writers carry it out is just…wow. From Cruella’s perfectly planned strikes in her war with the Baroness, to the double agent deal that blossoms with Estella, to the internal struggle within Jasper and Horace as they watch Estella disappear, it’s all so amazingly done and I just love following this plot through all of it’s big reveals. It’s just so entertaining every time, even when I know what’s coming, and that’s the mark of good cinema writing.
Lastly, there’s Artie. Oh, Artie… Honestly, Artie deserves an entire blog all on his own, (which I might actually do, don’t test me), but this one line will have to suffice in conveying my love for this fictional character: In response to Estella’s question of his somewhat eccentric fashion sense, “how does that look go on the streets?”, Artie replies, “Some abuse, and insults, of course. But I like to say normal is the cruelest insult of them all, and at least I never get that.”
All in all, I absolutely adore this movie, and if you don’t go watch it as soon as physically possible, you are doing yourself a CRIMINAL disservice and I pity you. Seriously, though, please go watch it. I promise, it’ll be one of the best two hours you’ve ever spent.
Until next time, folks.
Sincerely, someone with a newly reignited love for the fashion world.
1000000/10 that movie is amazing!!!
As much as I love Disney I have yet to watch Cruella purely based on the fact that my family called me that when I had black and white hair. It’s a pride thing. Amazing writing though!