Cinderella (8.5/10)

Kenneth Branagh belongs in the Disney world. He should direct more Disney movies.

This Cinderella oozed nostalgia. From the very moment the Disney logo came on with that musical theme, I was brought back in time.

And what Branagh did so well was to keep that whole spirit of the Disney magic alive in this tale. He even injected a few small things from the cartoon that would have gone unnoticed if you weren't paying attention, like with the goose running out to be surprised by the oncoming carriage when the step-family arrived, or the slapping of the paw from one rat to the other.

But the biggest nostalgic moment for me came when Cinderella stopped the rushing of her fairy godmother and asked to fix her dress. That was the most beautiful moment reminiscing of the cartoon and I just uncontrollably teared up.

What this movie really had was spirit. That spirit of "have courage and be kind" played so well throughout the movie. And it was because of that spirit that the prince was so enamoured by Cinderella in their first meeting. I was so glad that writer Chris Weitz wrote it that way because it wasn't just some physical attraction, it was a connection between two kindred spirits. And Branagh directed that scene so fantastically well. (Young adult movies like Insurgent should learn from this!)

And I loved how the twist to her name, Cinder-Ella, came about. Well done, Mr. Weitz; or whoever came up with it.

The attention to detail was commendable. I loved how the footmen had gloves of two different shades of colour, yellow and green; making them really look like lizards. The set pieces were quaint and the costumes were elegant. And James and Cate Blanchett's mannerisms and movements were all choreographed to look like they flowed with the scene.

Richard Madden played the perfect prince, and the relationship with his father was developed so succinctly and that wasn't just a throwaway.

Nonso Anozie was very likeable. Stellan Skarsgard could have had more to do as he was almost forgettable.

But it was Blanchett that stole every single scene. From the moment she stepped into the house and turned her head, she was the epitome of grace and beauty - but also most evil. Yet, in one scene towards the end, Branagh made the audience feel for her and gave us the insight as to why she was who she was.

The movie unfortunately was a tad too long for me - cutting it down by 10 minutes would have been better. And when Cinderella was locked up in the attic, it wouldn't have hurt her character or made her less of a spirited optimist if she was portrayed as hurt and sad. But the fact that she was still dancing about and as if trapped in the memory of that wonderful night she had, made her looked like a loon.

And what's with Helena Bonham Carter's teeth? Why did her mouth looked so awkward. That was very distracting and didn't seem to help her performance at all so I question the necessity of it. But her narration was poignantly beautiful.

And the entire movie's score also accompanied the scenes perfectly. A mix of the classical score with an updated feel. I loved all of them.

I loved this live-action version of the classic animation. This adaptation from Disney, finally, is a winner. Let's hope the next one, Beauty And The Beast, will follow suit.