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Trap for Cinderella DVD Review

     Actors: Aneurin Barnard, Tuppence Middleton
  • Director: Iain Softley
  • Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
  • Language: English
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
  • DVD Release Date: April 15, 2014
  • Run Time: 100 minutes



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            There are enough moments in Trap for Cinderella that are good enough to make a majority of the film feel like wasted potential, and enough moments of contrived silliness to make the viewing experience feel like a waste of time. For one thing, there are far too many scenes which feel manufactured for the simple goal of showing Tuppence Middleton’s exposed breasts as often as possible. The fact that the lead actress is nude nearly as many scenes as she is clothed only highlights how failed the eroticism of Trap for Cinderella is, which is disappointing considering how little else there is to offer within the narrative.

     


            Director Ian Softley adapted the Sébastien Japrisot novel for his Hitchcockian tale of confused identity, hinging the entire narrative on a relationship that is difficult to care about and a twist which is easy to guess. Middleton stars as Mickey, a 20-year-old who awakes in a Swiss hospital after a tragic explosion injures her and kills a childhood friend named Dominica (Alexandra Roach). Amnesia prevents Mickey from understanding what happened, and we are privy only to the facts as she remembers them. This means a great deal of the film is spent in flashback, learning about the tumultuous relationships that surrounded Mickey prior to the accident.

     

            There are many problems with the approach to material, with the most glaring being a lack of relatable characters within the narrative. In most cases, learning more about characters leads to increased empathy. This isn’t the result of Softley’s filmmaking process in Trap for Cinderella, which hinges entirely upon plot twists without realizing that one must care about the characters in order to be concerned with what happens to them. Softley opts for exposed breasts and an over-reliance on the pop soundtrack, making this feel like a lazy hipster Hitchcock film. The DVD includes cast and crew interviews, along with a trailer. 

     

    Entertainment Value: 4.5/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

    Historical Significance: 2/10

    Special Features: 2.5/10

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