Cruela (2021) - A movie that surprised us all

Cruella is, let's say it already, one of the best movies with real characters inspired by an animated classic. The story is in the line of Maleficent, which consists of retelling a story in a different way, in stating that they did not tell us things as they really happened, it is about the "bad guys" from before being the good guys from "now. "In the case of Cruella they go further, as she has a split personality, can be charming or genuinely evil and, according to the film, it is not her fault, she would be dangerously close to the Joker. The film is complex and fun, it offers a fashion recital, served by the Oscar winner Jenny Beaven, of period music - or almost - in the (gently) transgressive vein of Rolling, The Clash and many more, and of interpretation, with the duel of the two Emmas, Thompson and Stone who, in addition to doing a magnificent job, have a great time.

The film is long, contains a lot of information, many surprises and many nods to the original story and the preceding film versions. It transitions frequently and with ease from drama to comedy. Nicolas Karakatsanis' photography is splendid, he tends to be excessive, to impress whenever he can, which is appropriate in the world of fashion. Formally it only has a fault, a voltage drop after the first hour, but it recovers soon and takes a new momentum until the end. However, it is clear that the script has many details that could be improved, such as that of Cruella and her beloved Jasper and Horace, a couple that she has hardly used. The same goes for the butler, an underused Mark Strong. They are small details but they would have improved the story. In the background, he maintains the modern thesis that the family is the one chosen over blood ties, and the inclusive tone.

In short, it is a good film, well thought out, well finished. In a globalized world, it recovers fashion in its transgressive moment and turns it into a commercial product, politically correct and, being excellent for young people and adults, it is inappropriate, because it is incomprehensible, for children under the age of ten or twelve.