LOS ANGELES: What makes a villain become a villain? And why is it so entertaining to watch? Following the lead of titles like “Maleficent,” “Joker” and “Ratchet,” Disney provides the latest answer to these questions with its origin story of the fur-obsessed villainess of “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” Cruella de Vil.
“Cruella” is a visual feast that accomplishes the monumental task of getting audiences to empathize with a character famous for trying to kill — and skin — puppies. This is due in no small part to Emma Stone’s performance in the title role.
“I had an interest and fascination with what the backstory of a character like Cruella de Vil would be,” Stone told Arab News. “I first heard about (it) when I was doing ‘La La Land,’ so it couldn’t be further from the idea of Cruella de Vil. I was very intrigued at the idea of playing someone like that cause it was so far from anything that I’d ever gotten to play before.”
Estella de Vil is a bright young girl whose penchant for misbehavior inspires her mother to playfully admonish her with the nickname, Cruella. (Supplied)
The movie introduces us to Estella de Vil, a bright young girl whose penchant for misbehavior inspires her mother to playfully admonish her with the nickname, Cruella. But after her mother’s death and a childhood spent on the streets, de Vil winds up in the employ of the stylishly sociopathic fashion designer Baroness von Hellman, played by Emma Thompson.
“She’s not well,” Thompson said of the baroness. “I mean she’s really, really not well. She's obviously a very creative woman and a brilliant designer, but then this other person comes along and she’s better and modern and hip and chic and young — everything she can’t bear.”
From there audiences are treated to a version of “The Devil Wears Prada” cast with Batman villains. It is a treat to watch de Vil launching a flamboyant campaign of terror against her rival and her high-society world. That deliciously bombastic hatred masks a real-world friendship though.
Thompson went on to describe the movie as “a redemption story told backwards.” (Supplied)
“It was quite hard for me to have any friction with Em Stone because we’re such good friends and love each other,” Thompson said. “I’d met her long before, so I knew that we were going to have a good time. She’s my favorite young American, so I feel very lucky.”
Thompson went on to describe the movie as “a redemption story told backwards” as we watch de Vil’s gradual transformation from shrewd-but-redeemable Estella to the villainous Cruella.
“It’s the personification of those two sides of her (black-and-white) hair,” Stone said. “There's kind of the dark and the light, but one of the great things about Estella is she’s not this pure, sweet, unattainably perfect creature. She's full of vim and vigor and she’s feisty and smart and is a con artist, so she definitely has a lot of personality, which I love.”
Beyond the Stone-Thompson two-hander, Joel Fry’s Jasper — in particular — is granted new depths of character, with Cruella’s comic-relief henchmen from the original story recast as her surrogate family, after they took her in as their sister during their time living on the streets.
“Jasper and Estella‘s bond is more intimate,” Stone said. “I think there is love there.”
As you’d expect for a film about crimes of fashion, “Cruella” is dazzling in its design. The film has a definite Tim Burton look to it, appropriate for a character who’s famously decked in black, white and red. But both the haute couture of the Baroness and the punk chic of Cruella are elevated beyond simple pastiche by a talented design team.
Stone confessed to wishing she could take some of her costume pieces home with her after shooting wrapped. (Supplied)
“The costumes and the make-up in this movie designed by — respectively — Jenny Beavan and Naomi Donne were extraordinary,” said Thompson. “It was wonderful to be with this exceptional group of women all doing their best work.”
Stone confessed to wishing she could take some of her costume pieces home with her after shooting wrapped.
“I have to admit I took a lot of pictures. I don’t have social media but I would imagine that when you do and you want to take pictures of yourself, that was like my day as Cruella,” she said. “It was a very narcissistic day — which is perfect for Cruella.”
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