At the cinema: Cinderella
One of Hollywood’s big ideas for the past few years has been taking classic fairytales, and adding a dark, adult twist (think Snow White And The Huntsman). That trend seems to have run out of steam, so Disney is now trying a different tack: a big-budget, lavish, magical, kid-friendly and unashamedly traditional version of Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it’s rated U (for “very mild scenes of emotional upset”), and it’s unapologetically wholesome. But it’s also very sweet, charming and romantic, with Downton Abbey’s Lily James and Game Of Thrones’ Richard Madden contributing a class-divide couple you’ll root for. The cast is elevated by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as Cinders’ jealous, bitter stepmother, and the reliably quirky Helena Bonham Carter as a rather scatty Fairy Godmother. OK, it’s nothing exactly new, but this version of Cinderella proves that audiences don’t have to be surprised in order to be seduced.
On DVD: Paddington
Remember all the negative advance publicity about Paddington? First, the reveal of the character design unleashed “Creepy Paddington” as an internet meme. Then, the departure of Colin Firth as the voice of the bear gave the Paddington bashers fresh ammunition. (Ben Whishaw turned out to be a brilliant replacement.) Finally, the UK censor’s PG rating of the film for “dangerous behaviour, mild threat, mild sex references, mild bad language” unleashed a media storm. (The description was later revised.) Paddington had the last laugh when critics and audiences started seeing the film: in our opinion, producer David Heyman (Harry Potter) and director Paul King (_The Bunny And The Bul_l) made the best possible movie based on the Peruvian, marmalade-addicted character. This film is, simply, a total triumph: funny, cleverly plotted, very well cast and really affecting. It went on to gross an epic £37m at UK cinemas, and chances are you are one of the millions who already saw it. If not, the DVD is already flying off the shelves (200,000 copies sold the first day). Round up a young relative if you need an alibi for watching Paddington, but don’t miss it!
On TV: Looper (Saturday, BBC2, 9.05pm)
We will spare the writer’s blushes and not name him, but when Looper came out on DVD, a respected national newspaper ran the following review: “In Rian Johnson’s brilliant and complex thriller, a looper is a clone from an evil future sent back in time to execute his lookalike self. It’s an alarming anticipation of time travel starring Bruce Willis (times two) and Emily Blunt. By the end, it leaves you uncertain who’s who.” This was a highly original assessment. Accurate, not so much. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know that a looper is not a clone from an evil future sent back in time to execute his lookalike self, nor does Bruce Willis play two roles (instead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays him as a younger man), and nor does the film leave you uncertain who’s who. The review was right about one thing, though: Looper is a brilliant and complex thriller. If you have yet to see it, bung it on your recording device on Saturday night, or watch it live, and do Tweet me your reaction (I’m at @charlesgant). Happy viewing!