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Truly Dreadful Film

Excellent but underrated film

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Without a doubt, one of the best renditions of the 'Cinderella' fable. It is a story of love, devotion, loyalty, and, yes, betrayal. Ultimately, it is redemption and forgiveness that come to the fore, with Prince Henry finally realizing who his life's match truly is and Danielle, who forgives the prince for his egregious reactionary behavior.I particularly liked the 'modern' nuances to the fairy-tale magic: Leonardo Da Vinci as the surrogate fairy godmother (genius in lieu of magic dust and spells), and Danielle's childhood friend and confidante Gustave (a nod to Disney's Gus-Gus), as well as her servant friends Paulette, Louise, and Maurice (rounding out Disney's mice friends).One interesting aspect of the film that impressed me was that not all of the 'evil' characters were that. Films that make villains linear and two-dimensional are just boring. That the baroness showed an all-too-brief vulnerable, human side gave her an added dimension that has always been missing the other iterations. Also that stepsister Jacqueline turned out to be a secret ally was a very clever plot twist to the third act.However, I would have given a different punishment for the stepmother and her nasty Marguerite: 'compensation' (in the amount of 20 gold FF apiece) and banishment to the Americas... Either French Canada in the north, Hispaniola island in the Caribbean, or parts of Brazil in the south... They could choose...

I've only seen a few Drew Barrymore movies, but this is the best I've ever seen her. She should be given more roles of powerful women: She proves in Ever After that she can handle it. It is Danielle's strength of character; ability and desire to act decisively and to be consistently honest that brings her from a servant/slave of a cold-hearted step mother, to queen. Although this story was modeled on the fairy tale Cinderella, I do not feel that that handicaps or otherwise restrains the movie. Rather, this may be the best feature-length movie based on that fairy tale. Beforehand, I'd only seen Drew in The Wedding Singer (good movie, but she is not given a dynamic part like in Ever After) and Never Been Kissed (I loathe that movie, because, as in The Wedding Singer, she is trapped in the middle of someone else's plans). Drew Barrymore, as Danielle, shows no such timidity or ambiguity in Ever After. It's always good to see Melanie Lynskey, as well.

First of all I would like to say that I am already a massive fan of anything period so that made the movie more enjoyable for me and I have watched this movie a lot of times.I love this movie because I think that adds a twist to a well known and loved fairy-tale I would certainly recommend this movie to everyone and anyone. I especially like the relationship between the two main characters. I found it interesting that they chose to include "Leonardo De vinci" in the movie since he would never naturally be linked to this movie or the original.I also think that each member of the cast was chosen carefully and perfectly to fit each individual role in this outstanding movie.It's a must watch!!!!

Rating: A+With a great script, captivating plot, and accomplished actors, Ever After is an entertaining and highly enjoyable historical romance film. Given the medieval scenery and attire, the film pulls the audience directly into the bustle of the late eighteenth century. From sword fighting, romance, comedy, and drama, this film seemingly pulls all of these aspects together into one great film. Each time that I watch this movie, I feel connected to the main character Danielle, played by Drew Barrymore. Through each climatic scene where she faces set-backs and adversity I want her to succeed and find romance in the end. This film, and more specifically Barrymore's acting, has the ability to make the audience feel sad when Danielle is rejected by the prince in front of the entire kingdom or when she is sold off to pay her step mother's debt and happy when the prince saves her and asks for her forgiveness. Although the film is set in the eighteen century, it is easy to relate to Danielle, who despite hardships, has managed to make the most out of her seemingly horrible life. This film is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. With evil step mothers and sisters, an extravagant ball, a pompous prince waiting to marry for love, and even with a glass slipper, the film aligns itself with the same occurrences of the classic fairytale. Noticing the cyclical nature of fairy tales and how they are often redone, it is important to take a look at the common theme between fairy tales and their remakes. In both the fairytale version and in the movie Ever After, the main theme that is shared is that evil behavior will have repercussions and that good will always prevail. In both of the films, the step mothers serve as an oppressive force to the main protagonist. However, in Ever After one of the step sisters helps Danielle, yet comes short of advocating against her mistreatment. Nonetheless, in both of the films, the main protagonist succeeds and finds love when truly all hope seems lost. The glass slipper is probably the most apparent similarity between the two films, which indicates the importance of the symbol. At the end of Ever After, Prince Henry played by Dougray Scott, after begging Danielle for forgiveness, kneels down and replaces the slipper Danielle lost at the ball. This also happened in the classic story. Yet in Ever After, Prince Henry rejected Danielle for falsely imposing as a countess. In the final scene, Prince Henry, after saving her from Pierre Le Pieu, a vile man who is taken with Danielle played by O'Brien, has to ask Danielle to forgive him for his past actions. Although the core message has transferred between the two films, there are differences. In Ever After, Danielle does not represent the typical female fairytale character waiting idly for the price to sweep her off of her feet. Danielle has read books and often times challenges Prince Henry about various topics. Her conviction astounds Prince Henry, who falls in love with her personality over her looks. They say that behind ever great leader, is a strong woman providing support, and that notion is clearly represented in the movie, as Danielle offers her ideas on how to improve the kingdom. Ever After offers the audience the possibility to escape into a new and exciting world, where true love always prevails and evil people are always punished. In contrast to the real world, Ever After offers the audience a chance to escape into a different time period and a new life where there is always a happy ending.