There
are no fairy godmothers in Naples. Prince Charming is the “King” of the underworld—and
he’s no prince. Fortunately, Mia is a resourceful young girl, but not for long.
She is about to come of age and inherit her murdered father’s fortune in Ivan
Cappiello, Marino Guarnieri, Alessandro Rak & Dario Sansone’s mature
animated fable, Cinderella the Cat (trailer here), which screens
during CineFesta Italia 2018 in Santa Fe.
Vittorio
Basile’s plan to revitalize the Naples seaport district is so visionary, only
he understands it. His grand QE2-like cruise ship headquarters and its
pseudo-artificial intelligence only hints at the potential grandeur of the project.
Unfortunately, Basile falls for the wrong woman, torch-singer Angelica
Carannante, who is conspiring with her lover, gangster Salvatore Lo Giusto to
kill Basile as soon as the rings are exchanged. They will have to keep his young
daughter Mia around until she is old enough to sign over her inheritance, but
that does not mean her wicked step-sisters (and drag queen step-brother) have
to be nice to her.
Young
Mia had a rather touching relationship with her bodyguard Primo Gemito (sort of
like the Man on Fire movies), but
alas, he is the first person Carannante fires. However, he will make a dramatic
return to the now shabby-looking ship as an undercover cop. Frankly, the rusty
vessel is a good place to nose around, because it often records significant
moments and projects the holographic playback at times that are either
extremely opportune or inopportune, depending on one’s perspective.
This
is not a Cinderella for kids, but it is wonderfully stylish and rather
inventive. With its retro-futuristic fairy tale setting and holographic
imagery, it feels something like a cross between the under-appreciated Italian
science fiction classic, Morel’s Invention and maybe Streets of Fire, or
who knows what. Plus, as an added bonus, there are several contemporary pop-big
band musical numbers that are quite jaunty.
Yes,
there are four, count them four, credited directors on Cenerentola, but the look and tone are always consistent. Along
with three additional co-screenwriters, they create some unusually sharply
drawn characters. Their villains are particularly strong, especially the
glamorous femme fatale Carannante. Arguably, the traumatized Mia is the least developed,
but everyone around her more than compensates.
There
is a cat who occasionally slinks in and out, but the title is figurative. However,
there is a talking crow, who has a significant role to play. Frankly, this Cinderella is probably too adult for GKIDS
to handle (more so even than Chico & Rita or Mind Game), which is a
shame, because they might be the only distributor who can handle animation this
sophisticated.
Regardless,
animation fans will be impressed by the originality and ambition of this noir
fairy tale. Again, it should be fully understood this is not a kid’s cartoon.
It is meant for grown-ups with discerning taste, who still enjoy a little
mayhem. Very highly recommended, Cinderella
the Cat screens this Saturday (4/21) at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, as part of
this year’s CineFesta Italia.
