Cruella (2021) 1080p DSNP WEBRip

Storyline
Before she becomes Cruella de Vil? Teenaged Estella has a dream. She wishes to become a fashion designer, having been gifted with talent, innovation, and ambition all in equal measures. But life seems intent on making sure her dreams never come true. Having wound up penniless and orphaned in London at 12, 4 years later Estella runs wild through the city streets with her best friends and partners-in-(petty)-crime, Horace and Jasper, two amateur thieves. When a chance encounter vaults Estella into the world of the young rich and famous, however, she begins to question the existence she's built for herself in London and wonders whether she might, indeed, be destined for more after all. When an up-and-coming rock star commissions Estella to design him a signature piece, she begins to feel as though she has truly arrived. But what is the cost of keeping up with the fast crowd- and is it a price Estella is willing to pay?

User Review
Of all the evil witches, monsters, dictators, and homicidal maniacs that populated classic Disney animation, Cruella Deville might be the most hated. Sure, she never had plans for world domination and she never even tried to murder another human, but she did the one thing that film audiences can never forgive: she tried to kill puppies. It's for this reason that I've been so skeptical about this film, an origin story that attempts to humanize this character by shedding new light on her turbulent past. The cast sounded stacked and Craig Gillespie is a director I've admired ever since "Lars and the Real Girl," but was it possible to tell a sympathetic, Disney-fied story about someone we know will wind up a would-be dog killer?

Well, the answer is yes and no, but mostly yes. Before I praise this film for being such an unexpected gem, let me get the couple of problems I have with it out of the way. First and foremost, without giving any spoilers, I never get the true sense that Cruella is as pure evil as she's supposed to be by the time we get to 101 Dalmatians. She's definitely no hero by any means, but there's not a point where I feel the audience will stop rooting for her. The only other complaint is that there's a bit of a tonal inconsistency at times, as if the film doesn't quite know its target audience. It's certainly not for children, not only is it dark and mature but it's so much of a character study that young kids would be bored, yet there are certain occasions that feature very "cartoonish" logic that adults will have to suspend a lot of disbelief over.

But on to the good, and the first point of praise is the cast. Emma Stone is absolutely brilliant in this role, and you can just sense that she's having the time of her life playing it. Almost just as amazing is Emma Thompson as the vile Baroness, and when the two are onscreen together the chemistry between the rivals is electric. As far as the supporting cast goes, there really isn't a weak link to be found, with a particular stand out in Paul Walter Hauser who is hilarious as the dimwitted thief Horace. As for Gillespie's direction, the film is beautifully shot and he brings the same stylistic energy he brought to "I,Tonya" though it's greatly enhanced here due to the 1970s punk rock aesthetic of the film. This leads me to the soundtrack, which is not only pure awesomeness, but is used to turn Cruella's story into an almost allegory for the transition of London music scene in the late 60s-early 70s.

I could go on and on about the individual components that make this film work, but the truth is what really makes it work is how well these individual parts come together in a seamless fashion (no pun intended). In another time perhaps I might be more critical, but honestly it's been a while since I've seen such a major studio blockbuster, especially one based on an established property, that feels like it's actually the unaltered vision of a filmmaker. The story, the cast, the music, the style, everything all fits together to make something truly satisfying. That's how movies are supposed to be made, and with that I give this my first strong recommend of 2021.

Subtitles
Chinese (Simplified), Danish, Deutsch, Deutsch (SDH), English (SDH), Spanish (Español), Spanish (Latinoamericano), Español (Latinoamericano) (SDH), French, Français (Canadien), Français (SDH), Italiano, Korean, Nederlands, Norsk, Polski, Português, Português (Brasil), Português (Brasil) (SDH), Suomi, Svenska.