I just watched Ella Enchanted–went out and rented it on a whim–and I have to say I really enjoyed it. When I first heard they were making a movie of the book, I got really excited as it’s one of my very favorites. But the casting made me so upset that I determined not to see the movie when it came out. But recently a friend told me he enjoyed it, and I trust his judgment so I thought I’d give it a try. It really is a cute movie. It’s hardly anything at all like the book. The book is smart and hilarious and original and lovely, and the movie is fairly predictable and quite derivative (strongly reminded me of Shrek), but somehow it works. The cast, except for Parminder Nagra and Hugh Dancy, would have been truly horrendous, hideous, disastrous, if the movie had been more like the book, but since it wasn’t, it all worked out. Anne Hathaway is always enchanting, and she and Hugh Dancy are adorable together. Actually the movie manages to be very funny and there are some wonderful moments. The movie has some subplots and plot twists that aren’t even hinted at in the book and that makes it a beast of an entirely different species. Much as I would love to see a truer interpretation of Ella Enchanted, this one is so very different from the book that I think the two ought to be taken separately. So, having got a huge kick out of the movie, I am relieved and pleased to say that it is possible to enjoy both: book and movie!
[This post was imported on 4/10/14 from my old blog at satsumabug.livejournal.com.]
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 