“Have courage and be kind” is the simple message behind this live-action Disney film. It’s incredibly faithful to the original fairytale. I found it immensely powerful to see a story I’ve known all my life suddenly unfolding before my eyes in a newly visualised manner. And the magical scenes were sublime. The highlight was when the coach and horses began breaking down into the pumpkin, mice and lizards that they had been magicked from. Lily James plays it straight in the title role, Helena Bonham Carter is pretty good as the quirky fairy godmother and Cate Blanchett has fun hamming it up as the wicked stepmother.
