This is a film I did not see myself enjoying as much as I did. Serving as a (sort of) prequel to 101 Dalmations, Cruella is set in 1970s London during the punk rock movement and follows the character Estella (Emma Stone) as she attempts to make it in the fashion industry. She is taken under the wing of the vindictive and domineering Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) and quickly learns secrets that will push her along the path to becoming the villainous Cruella De Vil. First off I have to praise the performances of both leads. Emma Stone is wonderfully hammy yet charming and surprisingly nuanced as the titular Cruella, while Emma Thompson is cold and ruthless as the fashion mogul Baroness. There was also great support from Paul Walter Hauser as 'Horace', who serves as the main comedic output of the film, a role which he serves with aplomb.

Paul Walter Hauser in drag was a fun surprise! I'm astounded and surprised at how good this was. The grandiose production, the performances, the stellar cast, and likely one of the best soundtracks Disney has committed to for a movie. Emma Stone is magnetic and allows herself to unhinge as Cruella. I love the castings of Fry & Hauser as Jasper & Horace respectively. Thompson is great, as always, but I kept seeing Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. For me, the emotional parts didn't deliver and it was really dark in parts. It is a very well written story overall though, has some great laughs, and... did I mention the tremendous soundtrack? $100M budget delivers in a ton of ways, but a 2021, late pandemic, release definitely slowed it down. This was fun and even has a great post credit scene that all together have me looking forward to #2 at some point in the future, although I don't know where they go with it. 460/500 movies & tv for 2024

CRUELLA Disney's new live action tells the origins of Cruella De Vil, the ruthless stylist who in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) tries to kidnap a group of Dalmatians to get furs out of them. The story starts with little Estella, who after losing her mother, finds herself living with two other kids: Jasper and Horace. Having always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, one day she finds work for the Baroness, UK's greatest fashion designer. Following a shocking discovery, however, another side of Estella will begin to resurface. The costumes in this film are simply amazing and best enhance the personality of the characters who wear them. However, the big flaw of this film is the script. The story should narrate the birth of a greedy and unscrupulous villain, but Cruella's wickedness always takes a back seat when compared to the Baroness, thus transforming her into a rather flat character that does not reflect the immortality of the original character at all.