The opinion of the “World” – To see
That we shuddered, child, in front of the original masterpiece, 101 Dalmatians (1961), or her two live-action adaptations of 1997 and 2001, Cruella d’Enfer is arguably the most charismatic Disney villain. The memory of Glenn Close has a lot to do with it: the actress gave an impeccably poisonous performance, embodying in an unforgettable way this devilish woman obsessed with fur.
Other customs, another era, fur no longer has the right to citizenship, and after Maleficent, Disney continues its business of rehabilitating its most iconic villains. A generalized phenomenon: in 2019, it is the origin of the Joker that was probed by Todd Phillips, as a way to meet the expectations of the public whose demands have been somewhat reversed. The great heroic figures (Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy) darken, while the mythical villains indulge in a cinematic psychoanalysis that elicits general empathy. The origin of the disease is always explained by a childish trauma not overcome. The big studios have understood it: the border between good and bad is blurring, and the recipe hits the mark.
Splendid fashion show
A recipe perfectly respected in this prequel dedicated to Cruella, who looks back on his early years. We are in 1970, in a London shaken by the explosion of the punk rock movement – the last stage of a counter-culture taken up and digested by the mainstream imagination. Young Cruella, real name Estrella (Emma Stone), lost her mother in tragic circumstances and has always dreamed of making a name for herself in the fashion world.
Accompanied by her two acolytes, Horace and Jasper, the young woman survives thanks to theft. Determined to settle down, she accepts a job as a cleaning lady in a large fashion store, hoping to be able to climb the ladder. Her designs caught the eye of a great figure of fashion, Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a haughty and perfectly foul woman. Hired as a stylist, Estrella won the trust of the baroness who made her her right hand. At the turn of a revelation, Estrella will let herself be carried away by a desire for revenge and will give birth to Cruella: the two women will fight in the field of fashion.
The charm of “Cruella” is based on the graphic power of the sets and costumes, a tortuous but nonetheless original scenario.
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