The Slipper and The Rose is a beautiful version of the Cinderella story with picturesque scenery, excellent design and costume and lots of 70's soft-focus romantic-type shooting.
This isn't a run-of-the-mill Cinderella story. You actually get some depth of character motivation. The characters are generally extremely believable - the "wicked" stepmother not being hideous enough for one to question why anyone would marry her and the "ugly" sisters, both slim and quite pretty, but instead ugly from the inside.
This film is brilliantly cast with some of the finest British actors/comedy actors of all time (Kenneth More, Annette Crosbie to name two!). Richard Chamberlain acts, dances, sings! Gemma Craven is radiant. She has a beautiful voice and does a great job with a very passive character. Let's face it, in the traditional story of Cinderella (as this is), she doesn't really make any decisions except that she might quite like to go to the ball.
It's just great to see people cast on ability, not solely looks/cleavage/plastic surgery, (although I suppose the features all fit a certain time-period of what was considered beautiful.)
The script is very witty and intelligent and I love the songs.. Fantastic music. Lyrics aren't dumbed down at all! Words of more than one syllable. What other musical has a song with the title "Protocoligorically Correct" in it? None, I should imagine!
Incidentally, I believe Sherman & Sherman who did the songs/music also did Mary Poppins (i.e. supercalifragilisticexpialadocious). Perhaps they just like long words.
This is believable escapism, and apart from the odd haircut here and there and occasional choreography, doesn't really date.
I love it. It's magical. A great family film.
This isn't a run-of-the-mill Cinderella story. You actually get some depth of character motivation. The characters are generally extremely believable - the "wicked" stepmother not being hideous enough for one to question why anyone would marry her and the "ugly" sisters, both slim and quite pretty, but instead ugly from the inside.
This film is brilliantly cast with some of the finest British actors/comedy actors of all time (Kenneth More, Annette Crosbie to name two!). Richard Chamberlain acts, dances, sings! Gemma Craven is radiant. She has a beautiful voice and does a great job with a very passive character. Let's face it, in the traditional story of Cinderella (as this is), she doesn't really make any decisions except that she might quite like to go to the ball.
It's just great to see people cast on ability, not solely looks/cleavage/plastic surgery, (although I suppose the features all fit a certain time-period of what was considered beautiful.)
The script is very witty and intelligent and I love the songs.. Fantastic music. Lyrics aren't dumbed down at all! Words of more than one syllable. What other musical has a song with the title "Protocoligorically Correct" in it? None, I should imagine!
Incidentally, I believe Sherman & Sherman who did the songs/music also did Mary Poppins (i.e. supercalifragilisticexpialadocious). Perhaps they just like long words.
This is believable escapism, and apart from the odd haircut here and there and occasional choreography, doesn't really date.
I love it. It's magical. A great family film.