Ever After

A retelling of the classic Cinderella fable, has a sweet, innocent 8-year girl who loves her father dearly, turn into a servant for her stepmother, after her father passes away unexpectedly. After 10 years of waiting on her demanding stepmom and her stepsisters, the girl is wooed by the bachelor prince, who believes her to be a courtier, and falls for her ability to say what is on her mind, and her lack of manipulative tactics.

Interesting, well-told, beautifully photographed version of the classic tale, features many new, fun twists, and solid performances by the entire cast, especially Drew Barrymore in the lead role of Danielle. This movie is sure to strike a chord with girls around the world, who might be able to identify with the lead character’s conviction, truth and love. They might also appreciate the whole “white knight in shining armor” scenario, with the higher-brow prince falling for the lower-brow servant. Anjelica Huston plays another wicked character flawlessly, as this film actually allows her character to show some humanity, as well as one of the stepsisters, who is essentially, very understanding to Cinderella’s plight. Having said that, the movie didn’t blow my mind, was quite predictable considering its source material, and did have a weak link in the prince character, who didn’t quite bowl me over. All in all, this film will be appreciated much more by girls, but entertaining enough for all, with great cinematography, a solid lead, and an interesting and timely story line.

(c) 2021 Berge Garabedian