Cruella - Better than Joker

 

Streaming on Disney+ 

For rent on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play. 

    This one took me a while longer than expected to finally watch. Though it was initially released back in May to theaters and the streaming service Disney+, I wasn't quite ready to hit the theaters at that time, and I wasn't about to pay $30 to watch a film that reminded me too much of the abysmal trainwreck that was Joker. I mean, an origin story of a famous villain demanding sympathy as a newly constructed "anti-hero"? It felt less like a fun idea and more like Disney trying to ride the coattails of an overrated pile of pretentiousness! How could I not make that comparison?

    Recently, thanks in large part to the praises of a good friend of mine, I finally gave the movie a chance. While I would not go so far as to declare it a masterpiece, as a few aspects could have been better, Cruella is still more entertaining and clever than it has any right to be. I can say with confidence that not only is this a better execution of concept than Joker, but it's a significantly better story with more intelligent commentary on the cruel and ugly sides of society while still offering a more satisfying sense of narrative justice. Considering this is a film from Disney, that's saying a lot.

    The film can best be described as an amalgamation of The Devil Wears Prada, Ocean's Eleven (the one with George Clooney), and a few hints of The Crow for good measure. The story follows Estella (Emma Stone), a talented young orphan who finds herself in the streets of London with nowhere to go. That is until she meets her new friends, Jasper & Horace, a pair of street thieves who take her under their wing. As they grow into a surrogate family, the boys present Estella with a special birthday gift, the chance to pursue her dream of fashion design. Jasper lands her a job at Britain's top fashion boutique where, through some bold action, she attracts the attention of The Baroness (Emma Thompson), England's top fashion designer. She is hired to work in her design department, and things seem to be going her way. However, as Estella gets closer to The Baroness, she discovers hints about the truth about her mother's death and how The Baroness might be involved somehow. To find the truth and deliver justice for her late mother, Estella must assume her alter ego, Cruella, and take down The Baroness in every possible way, including her status as a fashion icon. The only question is will Cruella cross the line or merely lean over it a bit? 

    The glue that holds this entire film together is the deliciously remarkable performances from Emma Stone & Emma Thompson, along with their incredible chemistry. Emma Stone has always had a lovable charisma and has proven herself a capable actor many times over. She has talent and skill on par with her co-star Emma Thompson, who has reigned supreme as a titan of acting and profound on-screen presence. Watching their back & forth in nearly every scene they share is pure gold. They are both clearly having an absolute blast with their characters and performing with each other. It almost makes you yearn to see them in a stage version of this story. 

    The production design deserves special mention. Rather than resort to the default desaturated look of most stories like this, Cruella relishes its use of color and has fun with contrast and unexpected patterns. It succeeds in creating a dark & gritty style while still presenting a brighter sense of color. It's quite an unexpected visual marvel to behold. 

    The writing, while not perfect, is surprisingly satisfying and witty. This reimagined interpretation of one of Disney's classic and iconic villains succeeds in presenting a character who is flawed, conflicted, and capable of great things without coming across as entirely evil or unsympathetic. The script presents a more human and surprisingly relatable character with emotional issues that most people can identify with. While there are a few implications in the story that I don't quite agree with, which I will not spoil here, I found the script to be primarily competent and satisfying. Well done! 

    While I did genuinely enjoy this film more than I thought I would, there were a few aspects of it that I feel could have been executed a bit better. 

    While the music is appropriate and excellent (as 1960s Rock & Roll is my jam), it often feels like it's outstaying its welcome. There are needle drops seemingly every five minutes as if it were saying, "did you remember this movie is set in the 60s?" and it gets a little tiresome after a while. Also, while I believe that a film's runtime should be however long it needs to tell the story, they could have shaved off a few minutes without losing anything. Plus, the fabulously fantastic supporting character of Artie (John McCrea) deserved so much more screentime. 

    Cruella is a film that delivers a significantly improved execution of the reimagining villain as an anti-hero concept. It's one of those rare Disney projects that doesn't feel like a shallow cash grab nor a pale imitation of what came before. While still not perfect, it's a fun story with enjoyable characters and a better commentary on society than I might have expected.

    By all means, do check this one out, darling! 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.