Movie Thoughts: Cruella

I hadn’t planned on going to see this, skipped it upon its release in May. I randomly saw a WEBM from the movie that was so ridiculous I thought it had to be fake. It wasn’t.

I loved Gillespie’s I, Tonya. One of my favorite movies of 2017. I also have a massive crush on Emma Stone, ever since seeing her smile at the end of Zombieland while The Black Keys played. I call her Miss Hollywood and have enjoyed watching her blossom from the secondary female lead in Superbad to an Oscar-winning A-lister. Like all kids, I remember the Disney 101 Dalmatians and I even enjoyed the 1995 version with Glenn Close.

All this should’ve set up Cruella for an easy, enjoyable watch. Instead it was just okay, and even then just barely. I blame Disney and their Disney-ing around. Trying to be too many things at once, a prequel to a beloved children’s brand and an edgy villain origin story and a dark comedy and The Devil Wears Prada for kids and blah blah blah.

Stone doesn’t just chew the scenery here, she gnaws it. We watch her enjoy herself while getting paid an A-lister salary. It’s ultimately a better time for her than it is for us. I’d wager recently becoming a mother probably factored into her taking this role. She tries, though, and hard. I enjoyed Joel Fry as Jasper though I’d never heard of him (apparently he was in Game of Thrones?). Emma Thompson Emma Thompsons the shit out of her role and her and Stone have some legitimate chemistry when things go right. Mark Strong isn’t given anything to do. Paul Walter Hauser is totally…