Confession: I have no memory of every having watched in its 101 Dalmatians making a feature film about the origin story of its chief villain an unlikely movie to interest me. But then repeatedly people whose taste I trust reported the film fun and worthwhile and so after re-instating membership in AMC’s A-List subscription service for up to 3 movies per week I ventured for a late-night screening.

Cruella, starring Emma Stone as the titular character, is an origin story for the Disney villainess, a period London centric crime comedy, and plants a feminist flag for taking command of your life with verve and individuality. The film boasts a voice-over track as Cruella narrates her life for the audience and it is one of the examples of how to do a good voice over as it is always in the tone and viewpoint of the character and not simply a voice describing what is one the screen or hastily created world building.

Orphaned at a young age Cruella, whose actual name is Estella with the more recognizable name an identifier of her more aggressive traits, struggles at first as a petty criminal on the streets of London as she dreams of becoming a fashion icon and designer. When finally, life presents her with this opportunity she finds herself engaged in a battle of fame and fashion dominance with ‘The Baroness’ and no it’s not the villain from G.I. Joe but rather a domineering designer played perfectly by Emma Thompson. The remained of the film’s two hours plus running time is the war between the two women. Elaborate displays are engineered, and secrets revealed before the story resolution all done to period and anachronistic needles drops of a truly great songs featuring styles as diverse as The Clash to standards such as Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

Screenwriter and novelists C. Robert Cargill may have found the perfect description for Cruella, “CRUELLA is like Guy Richie re-imagined THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA … “