It's easy to judge Cruella based simply on her publicity material and the recent history of Disney Studios. The 'remakes' of his animated classics have been incredibly successful. We could also say that he seeks to abuse the iconic image of a remembered villain, "harleyquinnizing her" to sell products with her face and style.
All of this is true, but it is not all.
This turns out to be a much more special movie than expected. Cruella is a true reinvention of the character. Thanks to the fantastic performance of Emma Stone that stands out among other similar works by Disney.
Since this film was announced, we wondered how they would manage to make a character mainly known for wanting to kill puppies likeable. Popular culture can forgive a charismatic character for murder, but not the death of a cute and innocent pet.
This is not the same woman in the 1961 film or the novel on which it is based. Just as Maleficent ended up being a metaphor for a woman's recovery from sexual abuse, Cruella is a story about social mobility and the way the powerful close the doors behind them when they succeed.
According to this, they could have left the subject of the Dalmatians completely out of the story, but they didn't. It is an important part of the brand. The way in which they finally use this breed of dog is so absurd, that it even seems forced to make a bad joke at the expense of the audience.
Remember how we joked that the only explanation for Cruella's hatred of Dalmatians was that one of these dogs killed her parents? Well that's precisely what this movie did. That's how it is. They are playing with one of the most overused cliches in the world. The funny thing is that, despite how easy it would have been, the protagonist does not blame these dogs for what happened, but herself.
You see, Cruella isn't really called that. Actually, her name is Estela, who was always a problematic girl due to her obsession to stand out by dressing differently and not letting others pass over her. At times he could be quite cruel, when that aspect of his personality came to the surface, his mother would ask him to keep "cruella" hidden.
Upon arriving in London, he must survive with the help of a pair of child thieves: Gaspar and Horacio. They grow up together as a family with a couple of adorable dogs. Ten years later, Estela wants to leave the life of crime behind and fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer. That puts her in front of the eyes of The Baroness, a woman as talented and successful as she is evil. Beside him, Estela discovers secrets about her past and that the only way to achieve what she wants in life is to be as ruthless as her rival. Only the villains get ahead. Cruella must return.
The first hour of this movie is pretty generic. It has a rather simplistic plot about a poor girl who discovers how difficult it is to succeed and how competitive the world of fashion design is. It is when Cruella, with her characteristic hair, appears on the scene that everything changes and history reveals her letters.
The character of Cruella does not have two personalities, but an aspect of herself that she keeps hidden. The two colors of her hair are a very unsubtle metaphor for her duality. The real drama of the film consists of discovering if she is going to allow her dark side to completely take over her - if her "jokes" about killing the dogs or her rival are just that - or if there will be something left of the little girl that Gaspar and They love Horacio like a sister.
