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May 22, 2016Nursebob rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Drew Barrymore shines in this unabashedly romantic rewrite of Cinderella which forgoes magical interventions and talking mice for a more practical approach—even the requisite Fairy Godmother is replaced by a most unexpected Renaissance cameo. Filmed on location in the French Dordogne region where castles and forests nestle beneath perpetually blue skies, "Ever After" never strays very far from its fairy tale inspirations. All the characters are scrubbed clean, sunlight sparkles off every surface, and any sense of menace is quickly damped down to Disney levels—a roving band of gypsy cutthroats turn out to be just a bunch of party animals while the "wicked" stepmother's scowling machinations are reduced to an unhappy woman’s mid-life crisis (Anjelica Huston manages to inject a bit of pathos into the role). It all ends happily ever after of course with nasty people getting their comeuppance and a gushing Royal Ball to rival any little girl’s (or boy’s) storybook fantasy. Light and fluffy throughout, but somehow satisfying just the same.