Susan Granger At The Movies

Cruella

Opening nationwide in theaters and streaming on Friday, “Cruella” is Disney’s all-new, live-action origin story, recounting the early days of the screen’s most notorious — and infamously fashionable — dog-napping villainess, the legendary Cruella de Vil from Disney’s 1961 animated classic “101 Dalmatians.”

Set in 1970s London, amid the punk rock revolution, this fantasy-adventure follows Estella (Emma Stone), a rebellious youngster who is suddenly orphaned. Befriended by two young thieves — Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) — she soon becomes a clever grifter.

Since Estella’s always wanted to be a fashion designer, her buddies slyly help her land an entry-level job at the upscale Liberty emporium where her antics cause constant chaos. That’s where she catches the eye of the Baroness (Emma Thompson), the Anna Wintour-inspired, viciously imperious diva of haute couture.

“Let me give you some advice,” the Baroness says. “You can’t care about anyone. Everyone else is an obstacle. You care about what an obstacle wants or needs — you’re dead. If I cared about anyone or thing, I might’ve died. You have the talent. Whether you have the killer instinct is the big question.”

Cleverly befriending tabloid journalist Anita Darling (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), along with androgynous Artie (John McCrea), and earning the subversive allegiance of the Baroness’s valet (Mark Strong), sassy Estella gradually evolves into chic, witchy Cruella, proclaiming: “I was born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad.”

Kudos to costume designer Jenny Bevan for evoking nostalgic memories of British designers Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, who brought modern punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream. Westwood viewed punk as a way of “seeing if one could put a spoke in the system.”

Written by Dana Fox, Tony McNamara, Aline Brosh McKenna, Kelly Marcel and Steve Zissis, it’s directed by Craig Gillespie (“I Tonya”). Wonderfully wicked, it’s commendable for its LGBTQ+ representation — and stick around for a surprise during the credits.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw

For those who are into the ‘torture-porn’ “Saw” franchise and its many sequels, “Spiral: From the Book of Saw” introduces undercover Homicide Detective Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Banks (Chris Rock), son of retired police chief Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), and his rookie partner Detective William Schenk (Max Minghella).

Openly criticized by his Metro PD boss, Capt. Angie Garza (Marisol Nichols), for not being a team player, wisecracking Zeke has been ostracized by many of his coworkers for ratting out a crooked colleague who routinely lied on the witness stand 12 years ago.

Zeke’s currently investigating a series of macabre murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past, involving deathtraps devised by notoriously sadistic John Kramer — a.k.a. Jigsaw.

Now, a Jigsaw copycat is targeting, torturing and killing corrupt cops in Zeke’s precinct, leaving behind Tiffany-blue boxes containing severed body parts as ‘souvenirs,’ along with a grotesque pig mask hung from wires.

As an avid fan of the “Saw” franchise, actor/comedian Chris Rock pitched this idea to Lionsgate. He was immediately signed to executive produce, star and help write the story with Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. Director Darren Lynn Bousman, who helmed “Saw” sequels II, III and IV, propels the plot, along with cinematographer James Oram, best known for Drake’s music videos.

Problem is: held back a full year because of COVID, the supposedly contemporary concept seems curiously dated, considering current focus on police reform and the ramifications of police brutality. The conclusion — having a Black man die at the hands of the police — is repugnant. And there’s no way — in today’s political climate — that, given Zeke’s reprehensible behavior, he could be considered a ‘good cop.’

The Woman in the Window

Occasionally, there’s a book-to-film adaptation that is an utter disaster. Netflix’s “The Woman in the Window” is one.

Based on A.J. Finn’s 2018 best-seller, it’s set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in the huge home of Anna Fox (Amy Adams), a child psychologist who became agoraphobic after a traumatic accident.

Since she’s terrified go outside, Anna spends hours popping pills, sipping red wine and looking out of the windows when she’s not whining to her therapist (screenwriter Tracy Letts) and confronting her basement tenant, David (Wyatt Russell, Kurt’s son).

Shortly after new neighbors move in across the street, Anna thinks she sees a murder being committed there and calls 9-1-1.

When confronted by an NYPD detective (Brian Tyree Henry), the husband, Alistair Russell (Gary Oldman), denies there’s a problem. But when his troubled teenage son Ethan (Fred Hechinger) visits, Anna’s convinced he’s an abused child.

Then, an edgy woman (Julianne Moore) appears, claiming to be Ethan’s mother. Anna identifies her as the well-known artist ‘Jane Russell,’ as they genially gab and drink.

Soon after, Anna hears a scream and thinks she sees Jane being murdered. When the police arrive again, angry Alistair strongly protests, introducing his wife Jane (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who’s obviously alive. Which leaves us to wonder: is Anna hallucinating?

So what went so disastrously wrong with this psychological thriller?

First, Dan Mallory — a.k.a. novelist A.J. Finn — was accused of various deceptions, including plagiarism; it’s obvious he was strongly influenced by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” (1954). Then British director Joe Wright was blamed when disappointing test screenings revealed that audiences were totally confused; rewrites and reshoots were necessary.

Having read the novel, I knew the plot but, on-screen, it’s totally convoluted, amplified by Amy Adams’ intense performance.

FYI: Anna watches clips from “Laura” (1944), “Spellbound” (1945) and “Dark Passage” (1947). Plus, it’s reminiscent of “Witness to Murder” (1954) in which Barbara Stanwyck played a woman whose sanity is questioned after she sees a man murder a call girl.

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures. Her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.

As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O’Brien, and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.

During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie and drama critic, syndicating her reviews and articles around the world, including Video Librarian. She has appeared on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies. In 2017, her book 150 Timeless Movies was published by Hannacroix Creek Books.

Her website is www.susangranger.com. Follow her on Twitter @susangranger.