Cruella (2021) – 7.5/10 – Refreshing and Entertaining, Emma Stone Rocks!
‘Cruella’ is a prequel to the animated film ‘101 Dalmatians’, depicting the childhood and the rise of the legendary Disney villain Cruella De Vil. Estella (Emma Stone) is a brilliant and creative girl who develops a love for fashion design. However, she was born with her hair half-black and half-white and gets mocked for it. In response, she acts out in school, getting expelled. Her single mother, Catherine, moves them to London. Estella soon runs and learns about her special talent in fashion design, which she could use to her advantage. There, she ends up in the employment of the wealthy Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a renowned fashion designer. Estella soon discovers that the Baroness is a cold, narcissistic, and corrupt woman. It all leads to the rise of Estella as Cruella De Vil.
Overall, the acting, cinematography, costume design, visuals, and soundtrack stand out. Both Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are fabulous in their respective roles, and their characters contrast each other so well. Stone’s acting is spectacular as Cruella, as she steals the show. I enjoy watching all her films. She never has a poor acting job and is always charming. The 1960s/70s era is also well-depicted in the atmosphere and feel, including in the authentic 60s and 70s soundtrack. The only negative is several middle-film scenes drag for moments, slowing down the pacing more than necessary. Sharper editing might have reduced some of the dragging, but there is only so much you can do without slashing crucial moments in the story. The overall writing was decent with witty dialogue. I found it refreshing and entertaining to watch.
Would I recommend it? Not a must-watch, but it’s a decent film. As a fan of the original ‘101 Dalmatians’ I watched in childhood, I enjoyed this film. I would say it’s worth watching if you are an Emma Stone fan or enjoyed watching ‘101 Dalmatians’ as a child. In the animated film, we never find out much about Cruella’s history or how she became so vicious. I found it interesting to learn more about her story. And Stone’s acting was decent. A sequel ‘Cruella 2’ is currently in pre-production with Emma Stone reprising her role.
