Cruella movie review

Cruella+movie+review

Abby Wahl, Pinnacle Student Life Editor

     On May 28, 2021, a movie based on One Hundred And One Dalmations titled Cruella was released. Craig Gillespie was the director and mastermind behind this live-action crime-comedy. The film is set in the early 1970s of London, where the punk-rock fashion revolution was all the rage. It follows a young woman named Estella (played by Emma Stone) who dreams of becoming a fashion designer. For the longest time, she spends most of her time as a petty thief, stealing to be able to eat. But when Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of Baroness Von Hellman (played by Emma Thompson), their relationship sets in motion a course of events that will eventually lead Estella to embrace her wicked genius side and become the infamous Cruella DeVil we all know and love. 

     I adored this movie when I watched it for the first time, and I have never stopped loving it since. I believe the actress picked to play Estella was a fantastic choice. She fits the character perfectly and is just a great actress in general. The actress chosen for the baroness was also a genius pick, and she portrays the villain oh so well. 

     Out of everything I love in this movie, the design choices take the cake. Since it is based back in the 1970s, everything plays off of that. The soundtrack is all hits from the 1970s and really makes the music scenes so interesting to watch. It was creatively put together by one person in particular, Nicholas Britell. The soundtrack really fits well with the overall theme of the movie along with the mood of the movie as well. The costume design was also incredibly produced by one talented woman, Jenny Beavan. The fashion was awe-inspiring and looked very professionally done. The makeup (done by Nadia Stacey) was also very good and looked skillfully done. 

     Now I have said an extensive amount of praise for this movie, but I do have one or two problems with it. Cruella is a Disney live-action movie, and Disney is known for its happy endings and family-friendliness, but Cruella definitely does not fit the bill. Cruella has violence and foul language in it, which is not like the regular Disney we know. I am not saying I do not like watching these types of movies, but I believe Disney should stick with their family-friendly roots. This movie was excellent, but Disney should stick to what they do best: animation and happily ever afters. That is just my opinion though I do love Cruella. 

     Overall, this movie was really well executed and put together. The acting and set design were impeccable. Disney took a dark turn for a movie this once, and fortunately, it worked out very well. I would recommend if anyone likes twists and turns, and an amazing plot, they should watch this movie. Like me, if they really like it, watch it more than once.