Starring DREW BARRYMORE, ANJELICA HOUSTON, DOUGRAY SCOTT, RICHARD O'BRIEN.
Directed by ANDY TENNANT.
Both shot and set in France, 1998's 'revisionist' version of ye vintage 'Cinderella' story is still set way back in the 16th Century.
Appealing if only for Drew Barrymore as the servant girl who the Prince falls for (in this version she's called Danielle), she comes on all cute and endearing in the same way she did in 'The Wedding Singer.'
While 'The Wedding Singer' was a much more 'accessible' vehicle for Hollywood girl Barrymore, 'Ever After' should still be hounded out, even if you're not a fan of neat, luvvy-duvvy fairytales.
There I was waiting for the Fairy Godmother to lust after the Seven Dwarves while Cinderella-cum-Danielle tragically slept for a metaphorical eternity in a mighty old castle, but I was getting multiple fairytales mixed up and it turns out that the Cinderella story isn't that exciting afterall.
Still, the ever stern Angelica Houston is brilliantly fearable as the wicked wicked stepmother who gets in the way of true love. Out of interest, has Houston ever smiled or played a character with even quarter of an ounce of happiness. If you haven't seen her in 'The Addams Family' or 'The Witches,' you must�
'Ever After,' to be fair, is evilly under-rated. No expense has been spared and the sets and costumes are lavish (unlike in the low-key version of 'Robin Hood' that starred Patrick Bergin & Uma Thurman, just before Kevin Costner cruised forth and made the 'Hood's life and times such a glossy spectacle in the Kevin Reynolds-directed 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'). Barrymore certainly has nothing to be ashamed of in having appeared here, because the story does call for some genuinely dramatic interplay between her, Houston (she has a problem) and Dougray Scott's ever-slashing Prince.
George Fenton's musical score is rousingly emotive and hell, there's even a Texas song featured over the end credits.
Amen. 4/5 (Steve Rudd)