It is a timeless story; a fairy tale that has been passed down from generation to generation by a long line of parents softly narrating to their eagerly listening children who are keen to extend their bedtime. The story has survived through its lessons in perseverance mixed in with a little bit of good ol’ magic.

But today, in our own overexposed cruel world where any firsthand account of an event of utmost depravity is just a click away from making headlines, does a story as idealistic as Cinderella, which is about love, kindness, and forgiveness, have a place?

In spite of my partiality towards a cinematic retelling of an old classic, I couldn’t help but feel cynical, at least initially during this film by director Kenneth Branagh. Here was Ella, facing abuse from her stepmother Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), as well as her spoiled stepsisters Anastasia Tremaine (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella Tremaine (Sophie McShera), yet was responding by taking care of them rather than dropkicking them right in the face. I wondered if this was the right lesson to teach our daughters.

But then a real world example sprang to mind of a young Pakistani girl who after surviving a vicious attack from militants forgave her assailants for the greater good, with the eyes of the world upon her. If I could endlessly admire her, then why not Ella, who only sticks around because her family home means the world to her?


Cinderella manages to find the right balance between modernisation and faithfulness to the original material


As I pondered these questions, a strange thing happened. Ella wore me down with her love and kindness. Quietly crying away in the dirty attic with only her pet mice for company, Ella, thanks to the believable performance from Lily James, cut a character strangely both vulnerable and strong at once. Certainly, the gorgeous soundtrack from Patrick Doyle helped tug at the heartstrings. The wonderful cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos also set the picturesque countryside for Ella, especially for the scene where she meets her prince.

Playing an equally idealistic king in waiting is Richard Madden who after his turn in The Game of Thrones TV show continues to play royalty here. Thankfully, this time around his wedding is far happier. Whoops, spoilers.

What is most pleasing about Cinderella is how, unlike recent live action Disney films, it manages to find the right balance between modernisation and faithfulness to the original material.

For example, Lady Tremaine’s reasons for her cruelty are established, yet she isn’t drawn as a sympathetic figure. Rightfully, she’s as evil as she was in the fairy tale. What’s more, Cinderella is admirably restrained in its use of CGI throughout the film. This only increases the impact of the amusing scenes where Ella earns a makeover from her fairy godmother. I also enjoyed how Ella’s prince loves her as sincerely as she loves him; in a sense, they are both saving each other.

As far as children are concerned, Cinderella is a clear winner. In an age where we are bombarded with unavoidable headlines that chip away at our faith in humanity, a film like Cinderella is exactly what children need. And as I came to realise, perhaps some adults as well.

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 29th, 2015

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