Directed by:
Tommy O'HaverCinematography:
John de BormanCast:
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Aidan McArdle, Joanna Lumley, Lucy Punch, Minnie Driver, Eric Idle, Steve Coogan, Jimi Mistry, Vivica A. Fox (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Ella lives in a magical world in which each child, at the moment of their birth, is given a virtuous "gift" from a fairy godmother. Ella's so-called gift, however, is obedience. This birthright proves itself to be quite the curse once Ella finds herself in the hands of several unscrupulous characters whom she quite literally cannot disobey. Determined to gain control of her life and decisions, Ella sets off on a journey to find her fairy godmother who she hopes will lift the curse. The path, however, isn't easy -- Ella must outwit a slew of unpleasant obstacles including ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, elves and Prince Charmont's evil uncle, who wants to take over the crown and rule the kingdom. (Miramax Films)
(more)Reviews (4)
A cute and funny spectacle, which is really similar to Shrek and The Princess Bride and far from, say, the latest Snow White from Tarsem Singh. Anne Hathaway is not only charmed, but somehow charming as well, and the casting of the other roles is perfect. I particularly enjoyed Cary Elwes as the conniving uncle and the sensational Lucy Punch as the evil stepsister Hattie. The cover version of ‘‘Somebody To Love" is excellent, Eric Idle... is just Eric Idle.
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Nice, crazy madness that already showed in 2004 that Anne Hathaway is a great actress and Hugh Dancy is a good second. Without them, it would be a waste. With them, however, it is a fine urban teen fantasy that occasionally entertains with its absurdity. It seems to me that similar crazy comedies used to be made in Hollywood before, but nowadays not even Ella barks after them.
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A really funny and sweet fairy tale that openly borrows from Shrek and The Princess Bride? Far from it... This is a harmless and completely trivial TV fairytale for a weekend morning. There are a couple of decent ideas, but the humor doesn’t work well, the characters are unlikeable and on top of that it looks like a downmarket Hallmark production.
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Maybe a bit of a "sleazy" fairy tale, but a funny one at that, and with Anne Hathaway to boot. But it is lacking a better story, imagination, and an aesthetic improvement...
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