Disney’s lavish live-action retelling of the classic tale of Cinderella arrives in theaters on March 13th. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, this new version is classic and timeless while tweaking the story to please a modern audience. Like most directors, Branagh hired his go-to composer Patrick Doyle to score the film.
When I first heard that Doyle was doing the score, I was very excited. The themes he wrote for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are some of my favorite in the entire series and I loved his score from Brave. His approach to Cinderella is a little different than what I was expecting, though. Like the character herself, the music is quite simplistic. While the themes are sweet, they also quickly become forgettable. The story allows for a few big moments and my favorite pieces are the transformation music and Fairy Godmother theme.
Patrick Doyle does deserve credit for his ambitious approach to the ball. He composed two waltzes and three polkas so that musical themes wouldn’t repeat during that scene. It adds a layer of realism that is brilliant and well planned. Many of the character themes are sweet, but the soundtrack is often melancholy. When I walked away from the film, I couldn’t remember any of the themes except the repetitive “Lavenders Blue Dilly Dilly” piece. Even after listening to this soundtrack four times, I still find it hard to recall much of the music. Among the Patrick Doyle scores I’m familiar with, this one ranks at the bottom.
The soundtrack includes the three songs that play during the end credits. The first is a modern pop ballad called “Strong” which is performed by Sonna Rele. The song feels very reminiscent of “Never Knew I Needed” by Ne-Yo from The Princess and the Frog. Coincidentally, it turns out Sonna Rele is a UK artist who was discovered and signed by Ne-Yo in her own Cinderella story. “Strong” has writing credits by both Patrick Doyle and director Kenneth Branagh. It’s a good song, but isn’t very memorable. My other issue with the song is Sonna’s vocal timbre. She has a wide vibrato that doesn’t suit this type of song, which ruins it for me.
The other two songs are delightful. The first is by Lily James, who plays Cinderella, singing “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” She has a very nice voice and while her version doesn’t top Ilene Woods’ iconic version, it is a nice treat. Patrick Doyle orchestrated this piece and I love the flourishes he added and the way the song builds and grows. It’s followed by Helene Bonham Carter (Fairy Godmother) who gives her spin on “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.” She is accompanied by a chorus as she mostly speaks the main refrain, but it’s still fun to hear her version of the character sing this classic song. Both of these are the strongest tracks on the soundtrack.
The physical CD release features a small booklet with lyrics from the three songs and a few pictures from the film. Inside the case is a code to download “Making Today a Perfect Day” from Frozen Fever. The digital version of the soundtrack doesn’t include the track, but it is available separately as a single. Overall this soundtrack isn’t as strong (see what I did there?) as I wished it would be. There are a few moments of score worth listening to outside of the film, but the highlight of the soundtrack are the two covers of songs from the animated classic.