'Cruella' Review
PG-13: Some violence and thematic elements
Runtime: 2 Hrs and 14 Minutes
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Gunn Films, Marc Platt Productions
Distributor: Disney
Director: Craig Gillespie
Writers: Dana Fox, Tony McNamara
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mark Strong
Release Date: May 28, 2021
In Theaters & Disney+ (Premier Access)
Set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, a young grifter named Estella (Emma Stone), a clever and creative girl is determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable, and revenge-bent Cruella.
Disney has a mixed track record with its latest live-action features. By “mixed” I mean that I loved a few, felt lukewarm towards some, and hated nearly everything they released in 2019. Granted, they make a buttload of moolah, but 2019 was the straw that broke the camel’s back with Tim Burton’s Dumbo, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, Jon Favreau’s The Lion King, and the unnecessary Maleficent sequel Mistress of Evil. I was so burnt out by all these cash grabs that I started taking everything in their future slate with the utmost skepticism. So, you can probably guess how low I set the bar for Craig Gillespie’s Cruella. That being said, despite all my prior anxiousness, I had a wicked time watching this film. For the first time since Pete’s Dragon (2016), Disney didn’t make a pointless cash grab and provided a solid movie that deviates from its source and stands on its own as a fun romp.
At first glance, Emma Stone might be a questionable choice to play the iconic villain, but you don’t even care about how hammy her British accent is because she’s irresistible as the titular lead. There’s nothing more fun than watching Emma Stone go toe-to-toe in a pissing contest for power, and she’s just as showstopping as she was in The Favourite. Stone brings such youthful energy and anarchist spirit and you just can’t keep your eyes off her. Emma Thompson undoubtedly slays it as the villainous Baroness. Thompson is so goddamn nasty and savage; Her expressions, timing, and uppity delivery are intimidating and frightening. She’s less like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada and more like Vanessa Williams in Ugly Betty. While the entire ensemble is delightful, Joel Fry is notable as the sensitive and loyal Jasper. Paul Walter Hauser plays the comedic relief Horace, who perfectly nails the deep, gravelly British voice and it’s hysterical.
This iteration of the famous Disney villain’s story draws major inspiration from the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close (who is also an executive producer on Cruella) and expands on the idea of her being a fashion designer. Cruella uses that as the basis of its narrative, focusing on how a young aspiring fashion designer with creativity, skill, and looks girl-bosses her way to the top. The film pays loving homage to the haute culture of the ‘70s while utilizing the field as Cruella’s rise to power. Since the ‘70s marked the rise of punk culture, especially in the UK, it’s cleverly applied to Cruella’s identity, especially with her wardrobe. It makes the entire punk scene come to life with her signature black and white flair that matches her rebellious spirit and anarchist energy. They really put their money where their mouth is and costume designer Jenny Beavan (Mad Max: Fury Road) deserves another Oscar for delving into the world of fashion in a way that elevates the film’s overall quality. This is also applicable to the production design, which does a great job establishing the difference in class between Estella and her partners-in-crime Horace and Jasper, and the lavish lifestyle that Baroness von Hellman leads. Director Craig Gillespie proudly displays the fashion of London and despite its grim, greyish look, he delivers an exuberant pop of color that gives the film a lively vibe.
The narrative is surprisingly effective as a distinct origin story that stands (mostly) on its own. You can’t call it Disney’s version of Joker where you see Cruella become a supervillain because she lives in a society… rather, it explores the making of a girl-boss in an energetic Shakespearean manner with enough edge that proudly wears its PG-13 rating on its sleeve. Writers Dana Fox and Tony McNamara boldly crafted a narrative that has the energy of shows like Revenge and Ugly Betty — a scrappy, up-and-coming Estella enters the fashion industry and uncovers a secret that sets her own dark path. As Dr. Estella, Ms. Cruella discovers her identity and who she’s meant to be in the cruel world she resides where everyone in her field walks over her. Despite its length, the film takes very daring twists and turns to make the origin story complex while working as an extravagant period piece. Even from a cynical standpoint, I had to bite my tongue and applaud it for actually taking risks in its story, adding dimension to this once simple, yet iconic, villain.
You can’t have a ‘70s piece without a ‘70s soundtrack to accompany it. The film starts off with some really dope music cues from Supertramp, Bee Gees, The Doors, etc. But the novelty wears off rather quickly, for it becomes annoyingly over-reliant on the pre-existing tracks. It undercuts the fun and intensity of ample well-choreographed sequences, for whenever any moment of action occurs, a ‘70s track blares in the background. It’s a shame because the score by Nicholas Britell is really damn good! You can’t just put him in the backseat and emphasize the music cues! Let the man do his thing. Sometimes a scene is unable to breathe because there are short intervals in between and non-diegetic music cues. It’s as if you’re watching this movie from the eyes of an indecisive ‘70s head who keeps skipping tracks on Spotify after the first chorus. It quickly becomes gimmicky and screws up the pacing of the film, which is already way too long as it is.
Albeit being fun, entertaining, and even epic to some extent, Cruella does not warrant a 2-hour and 14-minute runtime. Even Joker had a shorter runtime. The fact that Cruella is LONGER than Joker makes me want to become the Joker. There are places in its story that could’ve been cut for time, especially during the second act where Estella’s heists and crimes with Jasper and Horace become more elaborate and Cruella’s rise to fame begins. There are repetitive sequences that didn’t need to be featured in the final cut for any discernible reason. What disrupts the pacing most is the cliched trope that prequels and origin stories use where they force references of the beloved source material. In this case, the film abruptly stops in its tracks to reference 101 Dalmatians.
A lot of overused and dated tropes are making a comeback these days, one in specific being the unhinged white woman’s Black best friend who lacks character and individuality. Part of Cruella’s introduction in the animated film was that she was best friends with Anita Darling (Perdita’s owner). Well, now that character has received a race swap because why the hell not? After Laverne Cox in Promising Young Woman and Moses Ingram in The Queen’s Gambit, we now have Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Anita, an already thankless character in a rather thankless role. Anita doesn’t do much aside from being a journalist and the only person from Cruella’s childhood who knows her true nature and identity. Howell-Baptiste is good but Anita is given nothing of substance to do or contribute to the overarching narrative. I’m serious, this Black best friend trope is mainstream again and it needs to STOP.
There’s an admirable level of craft, precision, and execution that makes Cruella so damn fun. Though I wish it scaled back on its music cues and lessened the emphasis on the source material, it’s still a devilishly fun romp. The two Emmas slay in their respective performances while Gillespie does an incredible job crafting an epic ‘70s period piece that relishes in both upscale and punk fashion. It’s not the best Disney live-action update, but it’s definitely the most daring one yet.
