Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale (2010) User Reviews

Unoriginal Movie

[pretti-in-pnk · 3/10 · 5 March 2011]

OK so the movie may focus around making music but it is completely unoriginal in a lot of ways it seems to a follow a similar path to that of another Cinderella story with Selena Gomez plus it copies from an actual great movie of save the last dance. You will know what I mean if you watch the movie and have seen the 2 movies I have listed.

For example the similarity to another Cinderella story is about the band sensation who would i guess be the 'ugly step sisters' even if their not humiliating Elle the main character about her obsession for the main character Ty. Also Ty assisting Elle with her music is very similar to that of drew Seeley and Selena Gomez.

Similarity to Save the Last Dance is the fact that her parents have died while trying to make it to her first audition to Berkley and because of this she stopped singing. EXACLTLY THE SAME to save the last dance!! Then she tries again with help from Ty like in save the last dance where Julia stiles auditioned again with the help of Sean Patrick Thomas.

Not to mention lines are copied from save the last dance. For example when she is talking to Ty about the death of her parents she states 'My parents died trying to make it to audition, it's because of my singing they are dead' (something along those lines not exactly!) In save the last dance the line is 'my mother died trying to make it to my audition she died while I was dancing' as well as that at the final audition in both Elle and save the last dance they both fumble their auditions initially when they start and get asked by the judges 'are you ready' and then in works the romantic character of the story saying 'she was born ready!' and they gives the main character a bit of a pep talk and then they ace their audition.

So it is VERY unoriginal

For this I give it a 3/10.

It is beyond fairy tale...

[just_kumala · 3/10 · 29 November 2011]

Okay Netflix, do you have others worse than this? This movie is such a failure. First of all, I'm up for every movies with the fairy tale theme. But this is "beyond fairy tale".

The actors suck, they could not act! The editing sucks too! A lot of unnecessary scenes. It felt like some people wanna be stars and they were all over the place! Failing amateur movie.

The plot was okay though but seriously, even other Sterling Knight movies are even better than this.

The only good about this movie is only the songs, they're just cool, not awesome, but Thank God at least there's something good.

Boring at most

[treasureduckphotography · 3/10 · 11 March 2022]

The worst Cinderella movie I've ever seen. Maybe adequate of it was an Indie film, but it's awful the actors other than the one in place of the prince are absolutely terrible like high school video class level, terrible British accent. Any instrumentals they have are all just Awful public domain almost ringtone like music, and the entire plot that relates it to Cinderella is the worst of any Cinderella remake I've ever seen.

This was the worst movie I've ever seen.

[AuroraRibbon · 1/10 · 4 June 2011]

This story has been overdone to death, but what's worse, this version did it BADLY. Sure, it did switch up some things here and there, but, BADLY. It had horrible acting, awkward screenplay (Even the camera angles were awkward), an absolutely cringe-worthy script, and weak, flat characters. Okay, not all the actors were as bad as the lead, 'Cinderella'. Some were minimally better; then again, some were worse. It was the dullest, most eye-roll-inducing, face-palm worthy, predictable, cheesy, stereotypical movie ever. It wasn't even funny-bad, it was just stupid-bad. Side note: I'm not sure if the British accents that some of these American 'actors' put on are meant to sound fake, but fake they sound; and extremely so.

If I seem overly harsh in my choice of words to describe this movie, I'm sorry. It's coming from a frustration at myself for watching the entire ridiculous thing all the way through. Huge waste of time, that. -_-

Dull, predictable and pretty much disappointing.

[xtine_cdcg · 1/10 · 5 June 2011]

I'm sorry but for me, this movie was just plain horrible. I was half expecting another one of those cute Cinderella flicks. But I was in for a surprise. The acting was not even close to mediocre.. it was bland, forced, weak and the characters seem so fake. The lead actress just sucked; I don't know, but her whole character seemed to me as if she was a failed Taylor Swift clone. Some of the actors weren't as bad as the lead but others had it even worse. Anyways, the movie was dull, predictable and cheesy. The script was also horrible and cringe-worthy. And if it weren't for my sister, I wouldn't have sat through even half of the movie. I'm sorry if I seem a tad bit harsh on my wordings but it irks me that the movie could've been a whole lot better if they just put more effort into it. Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale had potential to be an "okay" movie but it was just very disappointing.

Just. Plain. Horrible.

[ChrisyLikesToEatMangoes · 30 August 2011]

I watched this movie because I happened to be a fan of Sterling Knight, and I really enjoy Cinderella re-makes. Even though we know what's going to happen in most of the Cinderella based plots... this movie was just awful. 'Cinderella' was a horrible and awkward character, and she just couldn't act. I didn't find any of the scenes funny, and the antagonists/'Step-sisters' were terrible actress'; they weren't funny, they were't mean, and they also happened to be out of sync when they did that annoying clicking thing with their fingers. Honestly, I had my hopes quite high for this, because it's supposed to be 'modern' and its come out lately. But it was just horrible; the graphics were terrible in the music videos and even WORSE on the DVD cover. It seems like they got someone from the 80's to do the cover-art; it's VERY unattractive to the eye. I wasn't even going to watch it, until I thought that 'maybe it would be a better movie'; Oh boy, was I wrong.

When she was auditioning for that college, and they were showing how she took the news of her parents dying; she just stumbled forward... it wasn't even believable.

TERRIBLE movie. I suggest you don't watch it. I wasted an hour and a half of my life. Please don't waste yours.

Very Disappointing

[crystalgoddess28 · 2/10 · 9 March 2012]

I could not even get to the middle of this movie. After 20 minutes, I had to leave. It was a very predictable movie, adding no originality nor spice to Cinderella. There was no substance to this movie. It also moved at a really odd pace. I felt that they didn't need to spend so much time on Sterling Knight's character's meeting with his manager and that they should have spent that time going over the protagonist's background even more. Even high school plays are better than this "movie".

I was so disappointed because it looked so adorable! Not to mention that there was an actress in it that wasn't stick thin or Hollywood pretty. I was hoping that she would be a good role model or example to girls but... yeah, that ship sailed.

Overall, don't waste your time watching it.

horrible

[maire37 · 1/10 · 22 July 2012]

in short i wasted over an hour of my life, the actors had no knowledge or portrayal of emotion i really advise you DO NOT watch this film, its your average cliché overused storyline with bad actors and annoying accents and this 'singer' repeats the same song like fifty times and i started to get on my nerves, everything about this movie is fake and cheap. They are so dull and its so boring, the sort of thing that would air on TV at about three O'Clock in the evening at the same time as about 20 other cheapo fail films. The directors must be crazy or were high at the time cus seriously?! just no -_- never a good idea if ur basically reusing content

Below-Average

[godluvzme-mc · 2/10 · 12 March 2012]

Even though I am a sucker for the predictable story line and I love all the Cinderella movies, I didn't enjoy this one. This movie was D-Grade at best and wasn't at all the quality I was expecting.

The acting was terrible and I didn't enjoy it.

This movie definitely disappointed me as a viewer. I don't know whether it was the actors I had never heard of, that weren't really actors, or the fact that the songs were extremely cheesy, but this film lacked quality. I have been disappointed with the quality dropping a little more with each movie past the first, I liked the second movie, the third was all right but this one was the worst.

I wouldn't recommend it.

Sweet but undemanding

[BasiliskSt · 7/10 · 5 March 2013]

I'll confess I like sweet movies. I'm not automatically alienated by predictability or lack of originality.

Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale is not an ambitious movie. The bad guys are painted broadly as self-absorbed celebrities. The good guys are sweet and deserving. Acting is uneven but some of it is clearly intentionally bad and meant as humor or parody. I can see how it would be annoying for many. It didn't bother me. I wasn't looking for Paul Newman in The Verdict or Daniel Day Lewis as Hawkeye. This is light Disney-esq or ABC Family style fare. I've seen far worse movies.

For me, Ashley Hewitt's singing redeemed all. When Ashley's character Elle was singing she carried the story and lit up the stage or screen. The songs were both catchy and well-delivered.

I found myself rewinding to the songs and replaying them. The movie ends on a musical performance high note, emphasizing that the Cinderella plot device and character development are not the focus of the movie. The music is the raison d'etre and Ashley Hewitt's voice and pretty face are enough to frame the music. It left me feeling the beat, lyrics repeating in my head, and with a smile. Not so bad. Yes, it is not the best example of film making nor a model for method acting. The producer's ambitions were low and many elements are cartoonish, but a few catchy songs sung by a pretty girl won me over. Unlike many technically better movies I'd watch it again.

It's a good movie for children and family.

[lety-nne · 3/10 · 19 October 2014]

Based on the Cinderella tale adapted to the modern time is a family movie, and (little) girls will probably like it.

The story itself is a little bit predictable but that's OK with this kind of movie. Elle (Ashlee Hewitt) is a girl who wants to be a singer and lives with her uncle, the owner of a small independent record label, after her parents died.

The songs in the movie are not bad and Elle sings pretty well. Ashlee Hewitt's scenes seem awkward at times, but she does her best to keep it under control.

Technically, the film looks average.

Anyway, if you are a fan of teen movies and music, and Cinderella kind of stories, you should definitely see Elle, a modern Cinderella.

Sweet Heartwarming Movie

[american-beauty60 · 10/10 · 19 February 2011]

I loved this movie very much. It was really sweet and the songs were amazing.

I can't deny that it was pretty predictable but still enjoyable.

I have been a fond of Sterling Knight for very long time now. He is a great actor who always plays his roles perfectly. And he is one of the main reasons why I love Sonny with a Chance. When I saw him in Starstruck I admired him even more. He is going to be the next big Hollywood star who I will always look forward to enjoy his work.

Ashlee Hewitt is another strong beautiful voice who needs to be given more chances to show the world her real talent.

The movie is not that comedy by the way but still there were some good funny moments and other heartwarming ones.

Finally, I had so much fun watching the movie and hearing its songs. I think I would love to watch it again and again anytime.

Very Cheesy Tween Movie

[flickaustralia · 7/10 · 21 July 2021]

I do enjoy some cheese and tween movies, but this one is a bit to over the top. I did still watch the whole thing, but it was borderline as some parts.

If you don't like cheesy tween movies, don't even try. You'll just be upset.

Pretty ridiculous, but the main actors were cute. Not that the acting is great, it's not.

But it is a creative premise for the Cinderella story, a little different take.

If you are bored, it could be entertaining, but set the bar low.

Although, I'm too old to still be watching these anyways.... maybe a 9-11 year old would love it, and not notice the acting or plot.

Overacting Galore...

[tect-03564 · 3/10 · 20 March 2021]

The acting here was terrible. I enjoy chick flicks and family movies, so I always tend to give them a better than average review because they're my favorite. Unfortunately, I can't do that with this one, because the acting was way too bad. The bad girls were too much and the main actress didn't convince. They seemed to get their act together closer to the end, but it was too late to overlook.

Tween girls will like it most, but, parents should still watch and discuss the film with their children

[inkblot11 · 17 August 2011]

Elle (Ashlee Hewitt) has undergone a life-change of great sadness. An aspiring country singer, her parents died in a plane crash on the way to hear perform at a school concert. Thus, Elle has moved in with her uncle Alan in Los Angeles and works as a "gopher" for his small recording label. This means fetching coffee and arranging schedules for the studio's main act, a three gal pop group called Sensation. Naturally, this trio of young ladies are budding prima donnas and they put Elle down at every opportunity, as well as making constant demands. Unhappily, Elle finds it difficult to talk to her uncle, both from her shyness and his work schedule. No one realizes that spectacle-wearing Elle may have musical dreams. One day, a Bieber-type singer, Ty Parker (Sterling Knight) comes to the office to talk with Alan. He is tired of recording the same old pop tunes and wants to sign with a label that will give him more creative freedom. Alan, having a shoestring budget, wants to sign the very popular Ty but he asks that he make a record with a British pop teen, Candy Cane, FIRST, and then they will discuss his future venture. Ty says he must think about it. In the meantime, Elle goes into the studio late one night, to record one of her compositions, on the sly. What she doesn't know is that Ty has had to come back to the office to retrieve his cell phone. When he sees and hears Elle's performance, he guesses that she is Miss Kane and wants to talk to her about their future duet. Stunned, Elle plays along but then vanishes after a night of coffee and conversation. Soon the real Candy arrives, confusing everyone. How will this tangle of webs get undone? Is there a future for Elle and Ty? This is quite a sweet little film, at times, one that its target audience of tween girls will like. Hewitt and Knight are quite gifted, musically, and also sport very natural acting abilities. The rest of the cast, mostly unknowns, do a fine job as well. Costumes are also very fetching, while sets, script and direction are above average. However, it would still behoove parents to watch with their gals and discuss issues presented. For example, not all young singers are arrogant folks like Sensation but, more importantly, the musical business is quite competitive and singers don't usually take off their glasses, put on cute outfits and make it easily. It would have been nice if the film had actually shown Sensation practicing and receiving advice from teachers and those with industry knowledge, too. In short, this modern fairy tale is enjoyable but parents will want to bring any daughters with singing ambitions back to reality at the finish.

My school aged children couldn't even finish it

[trebleclef · 3/10 · 24 March 2012]

My kids trolled netflix for something to watch and they finally picked this one. They liked the idea of a singing teen in a Cinderella story.

It was the first movie EVER that they turned off after about 30 minutes. Even the 10 year old said "mom, these girls aren't very good actresses," and "there is NO way that girl is a teenager!"

The script was stilted, it's slower than snail snot and the acting gave me a headache. We all thought that the lead was a good singer when she sang a country song through the opening credits, but we gave up on the movie completely before her character got to sing in the script.

My three girls and I unanimously think you should skip this one.

Are You Sure It Wasn't Meant to be a Comedy?

[marina_love0142 · 1/10 · 8 October 2012]

This review does contain spoilers, but, trust me, I'm not really spoiling anything. This movie had a lazy plot, careless script, and sad acting. It's the Cinderella story we've all seen before. I don't know why they keep making these movies--or why we keep watching them--and this had to be the worst of them all.

Someone else commented that the movie poster makes Elle look like a 40-year-old woman. She does. I'm sure the budget was low. I'm sure the graphics department got paid diddly squat, but Photoshop is not that hard to figure out.

The montage of the relationship between Ty and Elle looked like it was run through instagram and smacked into Windows Live Movie Maker. Adorable, yes. Professional, no. I found myself wondering what they were saying to each other...

"Oh Ty, can you believe we're getting paid for this?"

"Elle, they have to pay us! After this, we'll never be respected as actors!" They both laugh in unison as they pretend to eat ice cream.

Alright, alright. These are all superficial things, they're not THAT bad. Sure. Hey, what about the standing ovation from the judges after Elle preforms her song at the scholarship audition? Check. The evil trio that smacks their gum and demands gourmet water? Check. The overly animated, rambunctious best friend who also smacks her gum and pushes the protagonist to go after her dream? Check. You've completed the list for worst movie ever, would you like to go for a bonus round? Just add in the judges and Uncle Allen jamming out like they're teeny boppers with the most horrifying smiles you've ever seen plastered to their faces during Elle's audition. Also, the guitarist and drummer should both know the music, even though it's an original song, so that they can do back up. Now, tell your actors to channel the type of acting that is usually left for plays instead of film acting. Their goal is over the top (in a bad way). Check? Oh no...

The recorded music that Elle sang wasn't half bad, the lyrics better than other movies I've seen, such as Music and Lyrics, but that's the only thing that kept me from hitting myself in the face with the DVD case.

Review

[precious8387 · 5/10 · 19 April 2011]

I only watched this movie because I am a fan of Sterling Knight. With that being said, I'm also a fan of Cinderella stories. While I did enjoy the plot of this film, I couldn't get into some of the scenes because the acting really wasn't that great. I was also a little disappointed that we didn't get to see Sterling Knight sing. Isn't he supposed to be a pop star in this film?? Ashlee Hewitt has a beautiful voice and I really enjoyed the scenes where she sang.

Overall it was a good movie and I'm still a big fan of Sterling Knight (thought he was great in it), but it is not a movie I'd buy on DVD to watch again.

This movie was awful. (Not exactly a spoiler, but just being safe)

[thecaitlynmarie · 1/10 · 24 May 2013]

I went in thinking it would be a cute movie. But no. I love the Cinderella Story adaptations but everyone in this movie couldn't act, except Sterling Knight, but even he was cheesy. It is also a very boring movie. The filming was clearly amateur, where the camera would be wobbly. Also, the points of view were also very amateur. It was awful. That is really the only word I could use to describe it. I don't recommend this movie to anyone of any age. No one should watch a movie this horrible. And the only people that would like this movie are the twelve year old's that are in love with Sterling Knight. I honestly cannot even believe that this made it on Netfli, or even made it past a viewing.

Just... No...

[emmajaneedwards · 1/10 · 27 November 2020]

I love Cinderella inspired storylines, but this was just all kinds of wrong. From poor acting, bad storyline and bad songs. Tried to give it a chance due to Sterling Knight and love his "Starstruck", but even he couldn't hold up this movie.

Reviews written to date do not comment on present day trends!

[ashmukerji · 6/10 · 15 June 2015]

It's less of a fairy tale and more of a world we are entering in en masse.

The striking factors on this movie displayed are a novel beginning with the speed with which we communicate and the global audience. How voice commands take away any effort to the point of duplicating hand writing to appear personal. A computer program, OS1 that discards, edits, organizes, recommends by taking the role of a secretary while maintaining a quality romantic relationship that matures into a fairly realistic future of where we are heading. We spend more and more time with our gadgets and find fuel than with another human entity.

The simple songs by Ashlee Hewitt, her voice complimenting the unseen Samantha, actress Scarlett Johansson. Now her acting and voice together with the songs are the gems in this movie.

Another Cute Cindrella Tale

[doctor-samantha · 10/10 · 20 February 2011]

Well, even though many Cindrella adaptations has been made, I still can't get enough of it. Always ready to watch more, and this movie was as sweet as the previous ones.

The First was definitely the best. It has Hilary Duff as a lead actress which is really pretty but.... does not have that amazing voice that Ashlee Hewitt has.

The songs of this movie was the best of all 3 movies by far. It the main reason why I keep watching the movie over and over. They are great in every aspect.... the voice, the tune and the lyrics are indescribable.

I love the story too although it wasn't the best of all. Typical Cindrella events in a modern way. So it is a 3rd reason to enjoy the movie.

So what is the 2nd reason?!!! Simple.... having Sterling Knight as lead actor. He is such a talented charming person who got you completely in love with him every time he plays his role. He is amazing in SWAC and StarStruck. He was great in 17 again too and I wish he gets the chance to make more different roles. I can't get enough of him.

Overall, watching Elle was such a pleasure. Try it, you won't regret it.

They obviously wanted Taylor Swift for this movie

[laurenlinger · 1/10 · 13 April 2018]

The intro was a dead giveaway. The blonde girl playing an acoustic guitar with a bunch of butterflies, styled like the aesthetic of her earlier work. I'm guessing they couldn't get the real Taylor Swift, so they got a knockoff instead. This movie is just poorly written and made.

Cute and funny

[vchimpanzee · 8 December 2013]

Elle is an intern at Spunn Records in Los Angeles, run by "Uncle" Allen, who took care of her when her parents traveled and later adopted her. Elle's parents, who were backup singers, died in a plane crash just as Elle was about to audition for Berklee College of Music. She hasn't sung in public since. Elle is from Nashville and has written songs, and her taste leans toward what is called country music these days.

Elle's best friend is Kit, also an intern. Kit seems to like Andy, the somewhat geeky but appealing kid that sells them coffee. As part of her job Elle must do demeaning tasks for Spunn's biggest singing group, Sensation. They are pretty, conceited and demanding, especially their leader Stephanie. They are actually talented, as we can tell briefly in a scene with just their harmonies and no electronic manipulation. But they are mostly fluff and their performances are pure bubble gum.

Ty Parker is essentially Justin Bieber, and Elle is an obsessed fan. But Ty wants to do more serious music as his fans get older. He doesn't care whether his existing fans will desert him. He only cares about his art. And Allen is willing to take a chance on him. But one of the conditions is that he must sing a duet with another hot bubble-gum singer, from Britain, named Kandi Kane.

Elle sneaks into the recording studio and performs a song she wrote. It is essentially pop-country, but because she accompanies herself only on acoustic guitar, it's not bad. She is talented. And Ty can see it. Believing her to be Kandi Kane, he is excited about performing a duet with her. Elle won't deny being Kandi because she doesn't want to disappoint Ty, and they seem to have more than a professional interest in her. So Elle is Kandi, complete with British accent. they seem perfect for each other.

So what happens when the real Kandi shows up? And what nasty surprise do Sensation have for Elle? And what happens to their relationship when Ty learns who Elle really is? Further, what happens to Elle's music career?

This has been done before. It's a formula, but I like the formula. Ashlee Hewitt is pretty and likable and a talented singer, even if some of her music sounds like garbage once the noisy rock band is added. Actually, most of the music other than background music is garbage, at least to me. The target audience of teenage girls will love it.

Kiely Williams is the standout actor here. Everyone does a pretty good job in what is of course bubble-gum material, but I like it, and that's what matters.

There are lessons here about values, friendship and honesty. But they aren't quite what you might expect.

It's a harmless family movie, if you don't mind something you've seen a hundred times.

Average Cinderella meets Starstruck

[lisafordeay · 4/10 · 11 April 2021]

Elle A Modern Cinderella Tale is a 2010 made for DVD film starring Sterling Knight and Ashley Hewitt. A young woman named Elle Daniel's (Ashley Hewitt)dreams of making it big as a singer,but a famous pop group dont think so. So Elle gets mistaken for a british pop star named Khandi Parks by Ty Parker(Knight). But will Ty find out Elle's real identity as the geeky intern.

Overall it's very predictable and not a patch on the other Cinderella adaptations. Parts of this reminds me of Starstruck(also starred Sterling Knight as a pop star). Elle reminds me of Taylor Swift right down to the country swag.