Cinderella (2015)

Cinderella is a 2015 American romantic fantasy film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a screenplay written by Chris Weitz. The film is based on the eponymous folk tale. Although not a direct remake, the film borrows many elements from Walt Disney's 1950 animated film, including character names.^[4] The film stars Lily James as the titular character, with Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is produced by David Barron, Simon Kinberg and Allison Shearmur for Walt Disney Pictures.

Cinderella had its world premiere on February 13, 2015, at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and was released in theaters on March 13, 2015. It grossed over $543 million worldwide, becoming Branagh's highest-grossing film to date, and received mostly positive reviews. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design at the 88th Academy Awards.

Ella is born to loving parents on a beautiful estate in a peaceful kingdom. Since childhood, she is taught by her mother to believe in magic, allowing her to befriend the animals on the estate, especially the mice. Everything is perfect until Ella's mother falls terminally ill. On her deathbed, she asks Ella to always face life's difficulties with courage and kindness. Some years later, seeking to recapture happier times, Ella's father remarries Lady Tremaine, the widow of an old acquaintance, who has two daughters of her own: Drisella and Anastasia. Ella welcomes her new stepfamily, despite the stepsisters' unpleasant attitudes.

When Ella's father goes abroad for business, Lady Tremaine slowly reveals her cruel and jealous nature, as she pushes Ella to give up her bedroom to the stepsisters for the attic. Ella's life takes the turn for the worst when her father dies during the trip, causing Lady Tremaine to dismiss the household to save money and forcing all the chores on Ella. One morning, when her stepfamily see Ella's face covered in cinders due to Ella sleeping by the fireplace for warmth, they mock Ella as "Cinderella" and forbid her from eating with them.

Crushed by their cruelty, Ella rides off into the woods, where she meets Kit, an apprentice from the palace, who is part of a hunting party chasing a stag. Not knowing Kit is actually the crown prince to the kingdom, Ella admonishes him for hunting the stag, and pleads for the stag's freedom, to which Kit agrees. Touched by his kindness, Ella takes a liking of Kit. Kit is likewise enchanted by Ella's charm, kindness, and unique outlook on life. The two part without Kit learning Ella's name, but not before both express the wish to see each other again. The King, upon learning he has little time left, insists Kit take a bride, who should be a princess for the advantage of the kingdom, at the upcoming royal ball. Kit persuades his father to invite every eligible maiden in the land to the ball, in hope of seeing Ella.

When the ball is announced, the Tremaine family is ecstatic at the prospect of marrying into royalty. Ella is also excited to attend the ball for the chance to see Kit. Ella fixes up her mother's old pink dress when Lady Tremaine refuses to buy her a new one. On the night of the ball, Ella tries to join her step-family on the way out, but Lady Tremaine, together with her daughters, ridicule and tear up Ella's dress, then leave without her. Losing courage, Ella runs into the garden in tears and meets an old beggar woman, who reveals herself to be Ella's fairy godmother. To help Ella attending the ball, the fairy godmother magically transform a pumpkin into a magnificent carriage, four mice into white horses, two lizards into footmen, a goose into a coachman, and finally Ella's ripped dress into a gorgeous blue gown, complete with a pair of magical glass slippers. Before sending Ella on her way, the fairy godmother warns the magic will be broken at the last stroke of midnight.

At the ball, the entire court is entranced by Ella, especially Kit. Nervous but happy to see each other, Ella and Kit have a perfect first dance, as if the two have been partners their entire lives. This irritates the Grand Duke, as he has promised Kit to Princess Chelina of Zaragoza, a fact that Lady Tremaine overhears.

While surprised by Kit's true identity, Ella nonetheless has a marvelous time with Kit, touring the palace grounds and Kit's secret garden. As Ella about to tell Kit her name, the clock begins striking as midnight approaches, forcing Ella to flee and accidentally drop one of her glass slippers, which is picked up by Kit. Ella manages to get away at the final stroke of midnight as the spell wears off, which causes the animals and Ella's dress to return to their original state. Ella hides the one glass slipper she has under the floorboards of her room as a keepsake, reasonably content that her one night will become a beautiful memory.

The King dies soon after, but not before giving his son permission to marry Ella if he wishes, having changed his mind due to his brief meeting with Ella at the ball. Once becoming king, Kit sends out declaration of his love and intention to marry the "mystery princess who wears glass slippers" to the ball, if she is willing. Excited that Kit feels the same way about her as she does him, Ella hurries to retrieve the glass slipper to prove her identity, only to find her stepmother holding it. Having deduced that Ella is the mystery princess, Lady Tremaine demands to be made head of the royal household and respectable husbands for the stepsisters, as a condition of giving Ella's hand in marriage to Kit. When Ella refuses, Lady Tremaine smashes the slipper and locks Ella in the attic. Lady Tremaine then takes the shattered slipper to the Grand Duke, and has him agreeing to make her a countess, in addition to advantageous marriages for her daughters, in exchange for keep Ella hidden. The Grand Duke tries to convince Kit to forget the mystery princess with the shattered slipper, but this only makes Kit even more determined to find her.

The Grand Duke and the Captain of the Guards lead the mission to find the mystery princess by trying the remaining slipper on all of the maidens in the land, but the magical slipper refuses to fit. When they arrive at Ella's estate, the shoe fits neither of the stepsisters. As they turn to leave, Ella's singing of "Lavender's Blue" is heard through a window that the mice opened. The Grand Duke tries to ignore this, but one of the guards is actually Kit in disguise, who then asks the Captain to investigate the source of the singing. Once Ella is found, Lady Tremaine forbids her from trying on the shoe on the grounds that she is Ella's mother. Ella curtly tells Lady Tremaine that she never has been, and never will be, her mother, then leaves the attic for the living room, where Kit is waiting with the remaining glass slipper.

Ella and Kit are thereby reunited. Kit recognizes Ella before Ella trying on the slipper, which fits her perfectly. Promising to take each other as they are, Ella and Kit leave the house as Ella offers forgiveness to her stepmother. Afterward, Ella's stepfamily, along with the Grand Duke, leave the kingdom, never to return.

At last, Ella and Kit are married. The Fairy Godmother narrates that they became the land's most beloved monarchs, ruling with the same courage and kindness that Ella has promised her mother, and that they lived happily ever after.