These days we take it for granted that 101 Dalmatians (Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Clyde Geromini) is a simple doggy movie that won the heart of the world 60 years ago, but the truth is that in the context of 1961, this is featured elements that would change the course of the Walt Disney studio’s history.

It is a film that comes under pressure to overcome the box office failure of Sleeping Beauty (Eric Larson, Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geromini, and Les Clark) in 1959, he decides to fire all the female inking staff that he had from the beginning to embrace the coloring through Xerox machines, which both offered a blur to the perfect craftsmanship of the color of the studio films, but also provided the audience with the option of seeing imperfect lines and sketches within the characters that certainly have their charm.

A charm also rooted in the Jazz tone of a film that was pronounced in the context of the present of 1961. Gone were the epics and stories of the past to now have a modern adventure, including aesthetics, people, and machinery. It is a quite entertaining film and perhaps the greatest achievement is found in its villain. While Cruella is a creation of Bill Pete who adapted so graceful novel 101 Dalmatians of Doddie Smith, the work with respect to endow personality and traits was the legendary Marc Davis, in his latest work in the studio.

Cruella also challenged the conventions of the Disney villains of the moment. Despite her rickety and supernatural appearance, she has no powers or any grace within the dark arts, being an independent, successful woman with a plan that involves massacring a group of dogs for their banal benefit. Killing Dalmatians the only thing that is going to give her is a coat that allows her to look joyous in an act of seduction that only she understands.

This immediately puts her in a more realistic position, and in a certain sense rugged, because in the real world and especially in the concept of the fashion industry, skinning animals is handled very well for a vile promotional item from the stores. departmental … which is an irony that I barely notice as I write this because Cruella in the company of other villains in the studio goes through the same thing: they are no longer seen for the artistic grace they represent, but as mere corporate gimmicks of a market division – the company’s cunning intentions in giving them a pseudo-adoption speech are debatable.

for people with oppressed sexual identities and genders when in reality said study omits to give them relevance and presence within it, censoring them in international markets – from which prequel films are now demanding that tell us the origin of their vile person. And being Cruella a character with multiple appearances and recognition beyond the animated film, it was more than obvious that her turn was coming.

Cruella like the other reviews of the study has its problems, but certain tricks. It is obvious that they are not going to try to preach to the audience that a character whose evil modality was to kill dogs was always evil (it would be surprising to see that the study ever had those intentions), so we go to the origin of their perception … immediately generates a bit of confusion.

During much of the story, Dana Fox and Tony McNamara -the film’s screenwriters- propose Cruella (Emma Stone) as a victim of the system to whom the unfavorable conditions of subsistence in London in the 70’s condition her to gather a group of louts and of becoming a parasite of the same, a situation that comes to contrast when on the only occasion in which he tries to do something on his own account and value, he ends up being a victim of the same parasitism now within the profile of the fashion of the time.

If we manage to buy this reading and version, we find a film of campy proportions with good potential, it takes audiences seriously in an irreverent way and when not, it ends up being joyful about its character, this is obvious from the interpretation of Emma Stone who is quite outstanding as Cruella and she alters ego of Estella -alter ego actually for the service for the audience- of which we even see her confused on several occasions since the villainous path is something that is accommodated to the perfection but that ends up distancing her from her allies, and dogs … ah, because now it turns out that Cruellahe doesn’t hate dogs, yet.

In opposition to this conflict of person who has to harden is an excellent Emma Thompson, which distills tones both Miranda Priestley of Meryl Streep and snobbery and disdain of his PL Travers in propaganda Disney Dream Walt (John Lee Hancock, 2013) – as The Baroness, who has already been taken for granted by life that her divine condition and gift to mere mortals is a facade that she has to keep afloat to remain in force, in a way a mirror of what Cruella ironically will end up being in the future.

‘Cruella’ review: a delightfully elegant ride

Origin stories are everywhere these days; it was only a matter of time before Disney took this kind of story and made a live-action movie based on an existing property. It had to happen.

Craig Gillespie directs Cruella, a crime comedy that follows the early life of Cruella de Vil, the iconic 101 Dalmatian villain. While many are in love with Glenn Close’s past performances as the character, Emma Stone puts herself in the shoes of the black-and-white-haired villain.

The film begins with Estella, a young pickpocket who aspires to be a fashion designer. By landing a job for renowned designer Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), Estella is led down dark paths of notoriety as she creates a new image for herself.

Many have compared the movie to Joker and The Devil Wears Prada, as the premise feels like a mix of the two with a Disney twist, but this movie is more than that. Cruella is a darkly funny origin story with many factors going against it, but it succeeds in the long run.

Recent Disney live-action adaptations of existing properties have generally failed. We had The Lion King, which was essentially a shot-by-shot remake of the original, and more recently, Mulan, who made a lot of changes, all of which were wrong.

But Cruella? We’ve already had two live-action 101 Dalmations movies, so the idea of ​​giving Cruella de Vil an origin story is exciting and risky. This movie only works depending on who you ask, but it has many admirable qualities.

I mean, we have Emma Stone as the headliner. She is phenomenal in this movie, playing both the goofy Estella and the charismatic Cruella with so much presence and sympathy on screen. Emma Thompson’s antagonist is also captivating to watch, as she’s a character the audience is supposed to hate, but it’s hard not to get sucked into her spell.

The performances of our two leads are worth the price of admission alone, as they can be effortlessly seen in their roles. Whether it’s Stone’s flawless English accent or Thompson’s scene-stealing power with Meryl Streep’s vibes, these two will keep you staring.

Perhaps the weakest link in the film is the script. By recording 2 hours and 14 minutes, you can see where parts of the film could have been shaved off. A section of the second act seems like it’s taking a while, with ideas that feel like a dark twist on Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent.

The movie also contains a fair amount of storytelling, which is not as charming as the writer intended, and can sometimes seem unnecessary. Also, the idea that the audience is supposed to sympathize with a character who will then kidnap dogs and turn them into a coat may not fit everyone.

But the movie is full of flavor. Gillespie directs the film with a lot of energy and it is a delightfully elegant ride. The soundtrack can be overwhelming at times, but the songs generally complement the movie quite well. Plus, the costume design is beyond miraculous, and it will likely face some recognition during next year’s awards season.

While some may wish for more work on Estella’s transformation, the movie still boasts a satisfying ending with Stone chewing on the stage with every frame in the picture. The action and colors of the film are vibrant and fun to watch, and it is sure to entertain older audiences.

The 50 Best Netflix Series

Netflix is ​​capable of the best and the worst. Although the films are not so good, it seems that the series does have a point. Thus, if we leave aside movies as inflatable as Death Note, Open Doors or Bright, and series destined to the absolute oblivion such as Other Life, Forced Mothers or Iron Fist, we find a catalogue loaded with small and large jewels of the most enjoyable.

Next, we have prepared a list with the best series that we can find right now on Netflix. For this, we have based on the ratings recorded by IMDB, creating a list of the 50 series chapters that the subscribers of the platform liked the most.

The 50 Best Series Available On Netflix (2019)

At the time of forming this top, we have included only the series that are currently available in Spain. Therefore, some great shows like Twin Peaks (2017), Dexter, Penny Dreadful or The Americans, which we could only see if we are users of the US, remain off the list.

For each series, we will find a direct link to Netflix, the title of the best-rated episode, the season to which the episode belongs and its score recorded in IMDB.

SERIE	EPISODE	TEMP./EP.	PUNCTUATION
Breaking Bad	Ozymandias	S05 / E14	10.0
BoJack Horseman	The arrow of time	S04 / E14	9.8
Lucifer	Who is the new king of hell?	S04 / E10	9.7
The walking dead	No Exit	S06 / E09	9.7
Sherlock	The fall of Reichenbach	S02 / E03	9.7
The last kingdom	Episode # 3.10	S03 / E10	9.6
That’s how they see us	Part Four	S01 / E04	9.6
Daredevil	Another napkin	S03 / E13	9.6
Peaky Blinders	Episode # 3.6	S03 / E06	9.6
House of Cards	Chapter 26	S02 / E13	9.6
Dark	Finals and principles	S02 / E08	9.6
Castlevania	For love	S02 / E07	9.5
The good place	Michael’s play	S01 / E13	9.5
Dragons: towards new confines	Blindly	S04 / E11	9.5
Narcos	Finally fell!	S02 / E10	9.5
The punisher	My home	S01 / E12	9.5
Better Call Saul	Pepper	S01 / E09	9.5
San Francisco Stories	Small resignations	S01 / E08	9.4
The OA	Perspective	S02 / E08	9.4
Stranger Things	Chapter 9: The portal	S02 / E09	9.4
Hibana	Episode # 1.10	S01 / E10	9.4
Orphan Black	The altruism scandal	S04 / E06	9.4
Bloodline	Part 23	S02 / E10	9.3
One punch man	Indomitable justice	S01 / E09	9.3
Sense8	I can’t leave her	S01 / E12	9.3
Orange Is the New Black	We have manners, we are educated	S02 / E13	9.3
Suits	Only in the face of danger	S02 / E10	9.3
Black mirror	White Christmas	S02 / E04	9.2
The chilling adventures of Sabrina	Missionaries	S02 / E06	9.2
The leyends	Golem	S01 / E12	9.2
Mindhunter	Episode # 1.10	S01 / E10	9.2
Ozark	The chimes	S01 / E10	9.2
The crown	Assassins	S01 / E09	9.2
For thirteen reasons	Tape 7, Side A	S01 / E13	9.2
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments	Malec	S01 / E12	9.2
Little Liars	Welcome to the doll’s house	S05 / E25	9.2
Dragon prince	Breathe	S02 / E09	9.1
Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance	She keeps all the secrets	S01 / E05	9.1
Voltron: The Legendary Defender	The final combat	S02 / E13	9.1
Trollhunters	The darkness market	S01 / E26	9.1
Travellers	Grace	S01 / E12	9.1
Grace and Frankie	The hit	S02 / E13	9.1
Soul searching	Episode # 1.1	S01 / E01	9.0
Santa Clarita Diet	The Sheila Sect	S03 / E10	9.0
On my block	Chapter ten	S01 / E10	9.0
The 4 seasons of Gilmore girls	Fall	S01 / E04	9.0
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend	That message was not for Josh!	S01 / E11	9.0
Derek	Episode # 2.5	S02 / E05	9.0
Brooklyn Nine-Nine	Charges and specifications	S01 / E22	9.0
Elite	0 hours disappeared	S02 / E08	8.9

 

 

 

 

In recent days, some high-quality series have arrived both at Amazon Prime Video and Netflix and HBO, and as every week, we will recommend some of the best series you can watch.

Except for Glow, these are series that have only one season, so if you put the batteries, you can see them from the first to the last chapter on the weekend. Ready? These are the best series of HBO, Netflix, and HBO that you can watch right now.

 

Our Boys – HBO

Our Boys is a series based on a true story. Three Jewish teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the summer of 2014 by Hamas militants. This caused the Jewish people to respond, burning a Palestinian teenager.

The search for justice is about this series of HBO that is very hard, as they see us, without going any further. Of course, the best there is in HBO right now.

 

The Boys – Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is taking the rest with the promotion of The Boys, as it will be a great bet to “ fight ” the HBO Watchmen. And, as in the HBO series based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, superheroes exist in the world of the series, but they are not like those of comics since nobody trusts them.

The CIA itself has a group that goes after superheroes and, as we say, violence will be the order of the day. It is violent, wild and with a lot of black humour. And yes, there will be the second season.

 

Glow, Season 3 – Netflix

 

Blood Brothers – HBO

From a series of novelties, we are going to 2001 with a series produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, which is a prequel and sequel to Save Soldier Ryan.

This is one of the best productions about World War II, and in it, we accompany the Easy Company, one of the most veterans of the contest by participating in the main battles of the conflict.

It is very well recorded, the sound is spectacular and, also, it has an exciting episode in which it is shown that there are not too many differences between the US and German army …

 

This is how they see us – Netflix

And we end with a series that is not new, since it has been on Netflix since May, but it is very worthwhile.

This four-chapter miniseries tells us about the five of Harlem, five young blacks who are unjustly accused of raping a young woman in Central Park.

This is a series that is not only based on real events but has had dire consequences for two of those responsible for the unfair accusation. As we say, although it takes a while on Netflix, it is one of the great productions of the year.