Cinderella

By: Paige Zinaman

Everyone knows the classic tale of Cinderella, the girl who goes from rags to riches with the help of her fairy godmother. So, it was of no surprise in the time of remakes and live actions to see Cinderella come to life once again with Amazon Prime providing the platform to do so, only this time with a twist. Going into this film I had no expectations, just ready to jam to some songs and see the story come to life and come to life it did. That is all thanks to Kay Cannon, the amazing writer and director of this version of Cinderella. She took a classic and turned it into one of the best modern-day incarnations I’ve ever witnessed on the screen. She captured the youth in the song choices branching from “Rhythm Nation” all the way to “Somebody to Love;” each capturing a moment in the film that held weight and supported the story. No song choice was a “just because” each had a purpose and left me replaying the soundtrack over and over again. Cinderella is the story that has been retold in many reincarnations, this one is one of gender norms and boundaries being pushed and broken and one of hope for generations to come.

This story of Cinderella takes place in that truly epic land of fairytales and follows Ella (Camila Cabello) as she lives daily life with the dreams of owning her own dress shop. She isn’t without struggle, as it happens when you live with your Stepmother Vivian (Idina Menzel) and two stepsisters. They make Ella’s dreams a little less obtainable after telling her the only role is to get married and provide for the family. Ella soon comes face to face with Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) when she and her family attend the changing of the guards. When it’s announced that the Prince is looking to wed and that every woman in the kingdom are welcomed to attend, Vivian informs Ella that she’s not going due to an arranged marriage that’s already taken place. Ella is understandably upset and sad about not being able to go when suddenly she is greeted by her Fairy Godmother – a/k/a Fab G (Billy Porter) – and from there her journey begins.

The casting of Camila Cabello as Cinderella was perfection. She is funny, beautiful and she can SING. She embodied the role of Ella and brought with it a flare and a modern feminist woman who wants everything in life – love and a career – and the outside forces threatening that. Cabello brought depth to the character, and it was such a joy to see a Latina woman take a lead role and absolutely shine. She gives inspiration to every little girl or boy out there that they can do whatever they’ve dreamed of, driven home by the powerful original song “A Million to One.” Cabello is a Cinderella for the ages. But it’s not just Cabello that came out blazing. Billy Porter was nothing short of phenomenal and historical. Seeing Porter take on this role that was clearly made just for him was truly breathtaking. His take on “Shining Star” is my new motivational jam for the mornings. Idina Menzel isn’t without applause. In a role that is normally despised by many because she’s the “evil” and “wicked” stepmother, Cannon gave her a backstory and a purpose and Idina took it and ran. With her original song that she co-wrote with Laura Veltz “Dream Girl,” the audience is left seeing a badass side of the Vivian and something only Idina Menzel could do. Yet I’d have to say my favorite part of the film came at the end watching Cabello and Menzel play off of each other. Their dynamic and connection was felt, especially in their duet part of “Let’s Get Loud.” I’m not afraid to say that there were tears at this point in the film.

Kay Cannon is a woman of true inspiration. She was able to take a fairytale and create something so modern and relevant to the children today. Her ability to capture the emotional and heart tugging moments were equally as amazing as her ability to sieze the funny and upbeat moments. Cannon was able to write what she wanted this story to be, amplify it in a stunning way with her directing and brought in songs that were just as important and moved the story forward. As a movie musical, everything from the directing to the camera placement was perfection. Cannon’s vision came to life and I’m sure she has left a lot of little girls and boys happy and dancing around their living rooms with a Cinderella that is for everyone and what an amazing thought that should be.

This telling of Cinderella broke many stereotypes and it’s because of a very diverse cast, a very well written script and one amazing director. It was nothing short of amazing and I can’t express my gratitude enough to Amazon Prime, Kay Cannon and everyone involved for taking the chance and bringing this story to life. It was worth the wait. Truly phenomenal. It’s a must watch and I promise the songs will only be stuck in your head all day every day.