Cinderella

Lily James takes the title role in this colourful telling of the original rags to riches story. Upon the death of her father, she finds herself little better than a skivvy for her acerbic stepmother Cate Blanchett and her ghastly daughters "Drisella" (Sophie McShera) and "Anastasia" (Holiday Grainger). Meantime, the handsome prince (Richard Madden) who appears to have had his breeches sprayed onto his body, is unhappy. His father (Sir Derek Jacobi) needs him to take a wife - but whom? Well, the fairy tale sets out the rest of the story and Sir Kenneth Branagh sticks faithfully enough to it. Helena Bonham Carter arrives to turn the pumpkin into a coach and... It's quite an adequate adaptation, this. The attention to detail is superb, a strong testament to the costumier's arts with a fine Patrick Doyle score (and a bit of "Bibbiddi-Bobbiddi-Boo") to accompany what is a well cast, and good looking film. There is certainly too much reliance on CGI, there's not a great deal of chemistry between Madden and James, and I could have done with a little more input from Blanchett, Sir Derek - and the entertaining Stellan Skarsgård as the "Grand Duke" but for the most part this flows along stylishly. The eagle-eyed amongst us might spot a young Josh C'Connor in an equally tight uniform, too! Is it Disney or "Slipper and the Rose" (1976)? Maybe a bit of both, but not so good as either?