Honestly, unless you are a reincarnation of Ebeneezer Scrooge, I don't see how in the world you could hate this film. Fairy tales do not get much better than this. Cinderella has gorgeous costumes and sets, first-rate actors(and singers) galore, and has some of the best music around.
It's hard to believe this is a made for TV movie considering how extravagant the backdrop for Cinderella is. The costumes are not only beautiful, they are bright, wacky and ingeniously co-ordinated. The sets and effects are also remarkably good- not cheesy, but you never lose the "fairytale" quality.
The actors present kind of blow the mind. Of course Whitney Houston delivers a knock-out as the fairy godmother. It's definitely her show, no mistake. But everyone else delivers a rock solid, dare I say, stellar performance as well. Not a crack, as one would expect. Brandy in the titular role does a wonderful job in her debut project. Her unusual, kind of raspy voice takes some getting used to, but grows on you quite easily. Hands down, Paolo Moltalban was my favorite performance. I have never been so attached to a fairy tale prince as I was in this performance. He played the part to perfection- always a gentlemen, not overly-confident and truly interested in the object of his affection (OK, OK, not to mention A-mazingly hot).
What really drives the film home is the music. Every single tune is insanely hummable. But what gives this the edge over the 1950's version is the picked up tempo and slight modernization of the accompaniment. Honestly, the original was beautiful, but too slow to really get into. It is a crime there is no soundtrack to this version, especially with all the star power poured into it.
So yeah, every creature that can speak could recite you the story of Cinderella by heart, but why would you expect to find anything new or suspenseful or surprising here? Cinderella is the comfort food of the cinematic world. This movie is in tune with the heart of a fairytale: to take us away for a while and satisfy some deep desire lurking within us for a more beautiful world where good always wins and we can burst into perfect pitch whenever we feel so inclined. It's like Bread and Jam for Frances. "When I watch this movie, I always know what I am getting, and I am always pleased."
It's hard to believe this is a made for TV movie considering how extravagant the backdrop for Cinderella is. The costumes are not only beautiful, they are bright, wacky and ingeniously co-ordinated. The sets and effects are also remarkably good- not cheesy, but you never lose the "fairytale" quality.
The actors present kind of blow the mind. Of course Whitney Houston delivers a knock-out as the fairy godmother. It's definitely her show, no mistake. But everyone else delivers a rock solid, dare I say, stellar performance as well. Not a crack, as one would expect. Brandy in the titular role does a wonderful job in her debut project. Her unusual, kind of raspy voice takes some getting used to, but grows on you quite easily. Hands down, Paolo Moltalban was my favorite performance. I have never been so attached to a fairy tale prince as I was in this performance. He played the part to perfection- always a gentlemen, not overly-confident and truly interested in the object of his affection (OK, OK, not to mention A-mazingly hot).
What really drives the film home is the music. Every single tune is insanely hummable. But what gives this the edge over the 1950's version is the picked up tempo and slight modernization of the accompaniment. Honestly, the original was beautiful, but too slow to really get into. It is a crime there is no soundtrack to this version, especially with all the star power poured into it.
So yeah, every creature that can speak could recite you the story of Cinderella by heart, but why would you expect to find anything new or suspenseful or surprising here? Cinderella is the comfort food of the cinematic world. This movie is in tune with the heart of a fairytale: to take us away for a while and satisfy some deep desire lurking within us for a more beautiful world where good always wins and we can burst into perfect pitch whenever we feel so inclined. It's like Bread and Jam for Frances. "When I watch this movie, I always know what I am getting, and I am always pleased."