Starring Drew Barrymore, Dougray Scott & Anjelica Huston
Written by Susannah Grant, Andy Tennant, & Rick Parks
Directed by Andy Tennant

I can only recommend seeing this film as I did: dragged by a Barbie-obsessed seven-yr.-old. It is essentially only a fluff-filled film aimed at the young girl market, or the hoards of hopelessly romantic women who still want a knight to come riding in on a white horse.

I suppose you can't expect more from a new take on the Cinderella story line than an insipidly romantic film experience. Yes, there was an evil stepmother, yes there were two snotty stepsisters, and yes there was a prince and a mistreated stepdaughter. The fairy godmother, however, turns out to be Leonardo DaVinci; the glass slipper has much less importance than the witty banter between Prince and Cinders. It is the classic boy meets girl story line, with small amounts of comedy to keep the parents amused in between the romantic scenes.

While the comedy makes the story bearable, it is the exquisite wardrobe and the lush settings in this film that are worth the price of the movie on their own. The actors are also exceptional, even in roles that do not challenge their abilities. If nothing else saves this movie, it is watching Drew Barrymore attempt to create a new non-wacky image for herself.

It is essentially a perfectly constructed mass-release Hollywood film (you could set your watch by the turning points). It is not thought provoking in any way, but it is not meant to be. My young companion, however, thoroughly enjoyed this movie; she is still at the age to dream of being Cinders.

If you feel like being fed a story line and do not want to be required to think for 2 hours, this is the perfect film. Otherwise, if you have some young female relatives to take care of for a few hours, buy them tickets and arrange to pick them up – save yourself the pain.

catherine mulligan
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