Direction: Craig Gillespie
Country: UK
Ok, this Walt Disney’s punk-ish Cruella, masterfully handled by the I Tonya’s director Craig Gillespie, proved to be more satisfying than I had anticipated, filling the screen with the fashion wrangle and powerful synergy between Emma Stone, who fits perfectly in the role of the title character (born from the pen of Dodie Smith), and Emma Thompson, already a staple in Disney’s films, as the wicked Baroness who doesn’t want to let go of her empire.
In this revenge tale, which serves as a prequel of 101 Dalmatians, the sumptuous mise-en-scène can’t divorce the luxurious costume design for a visually exuberant experience, and the film rocks with an unfaltering rhythm that is perhaps over enriched in terms of soundtrack, which is great in any case (Supertramp, The Doors, The Clash, Blondie, and many more).
The screenplay by Dana Fox (Isn’t It Romantic?) and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) brings out some nice twists carried out with a fearlessly inventive spirit and artistic personality. It was made clear that while Cruella has things done, Estella, an orphan swindler who dreams to become a fashion designer, doesn’t.
Although with the computer-generated images falling into occasional excesses, Gillespie succeeded in turning this film into a wonderful entertainment-escape, the most fun installment in the franchise.
