'Cruella' review: This villain origin story is buoyed by some captivating performances

 Disney's dalliance with live-action retellings and interpretations of its beloved characters and stories continued with its latest venture- Cruella, which was set to establish an origin story for Cruella De Vil. the primary protagonist of  The Hundred and One Dalmatians, an animated classic beloved by many. Disney roped in some of the popular names in the industry for the project- Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Craig Gillespie (director of Oscar-nominated I, Tonya) among others. Here's the review of Cruella.

Young and rebellious Estella witnesses the death of her mother, of which she believes she was the reason. Guilt-ridden and orphaned, she meets teenage grifters Jasper and Horace. From there, her swindling days slowly takes her to the Baroness (Emma Thompson), a very popular fashion designer whose very presence can intimidate and frighten those in front of her (sort of a 70s era Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada). Estella's ambition to rise through the echelons of the fashion world leads her to adopt devious methods, while being motivated by personal vendettas.

Emma Stone in and as Cruella

It is evidently clear from the start that Cruella strives to achieve what its makers promised during the film's marketing- this is a The Devil Wears Prada meets Joker narrative. And we get a sense of why. Here is a character whose villainy in a movie based on a kid's novel scared the bejesus out of many. And plotting her evolution to this presents with the writers a plethora of possibilities. Joker was one film that showed how this can be brilliantly done- it turned one of comic book's most notorious supervillains into a broken individual pushed to insanity by the chaos around him. Only that, here, the reasons that spur Estella's transformation to Cruella are more personal and emotion-driven.

Could Emma Stone have been replaced and still retained the grand malevolence that came with donning the ostentatious role of Cruella? Maybe. But Stone manages to make her casting as Cruella De Vil one of the few succeeding elements in the film. She transitions effortlessly between the naïve Estella and the wicked Cruella. Stone proves her mettle yet again and shows us simply why she could be one of the most bankable actors in the industry. 

But Cruella doesn't rest solely on Emma Stone's shoulders. It is another Emma, the very talented and charming Emma Thompson, who drives many of the scenes of the film with sheer professionalism. If we are supposed to hate the Baronness, Thompson manages to do it convincingly. My only regret was that Mark Strong was could have been utilized more; however, he is only seen in the film when conveniently required by the plot, one of the many reasons why the stellar performances barely save the film.

The narrative, as I mentioned before, is conveniently structured, except for the confrontation scenes which have been well-written thanks to captivating dialogues. And because of this Cruella has nothing new to offer. It is a plain and uneventful tale of revenge and competition, all in the colourful and extravagant background of a fashion, style-oriented period. The production values in the film, all thanks to the cash cow, that is, Disney, is a major factor that contributes to the energy of Cruella. Craig Gillespie sets his period and characters properly, and so, for a major part of the film, Cruella doesn't tire the viewer. But if it has done away with its over-the-top, overly ambitious climax (again, conveniently scripted), this origin story wouldn't have disappointed.

Emma Stone's and Emma Thompson's ostentatiously fascinating performances and a mature making by director Craig Gillespie elevate Cruella from a cliched narrative to a dazzling tale of greed and vengeance.

Reviewer© rating: 3 stars

Runtime: 134 minutes

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