In old France, a young girl named Danielle
becomes an virtual orphan after her father dies suddenly and she is
left to be taken care of by her none-too-pleasant stepmother and her
two stepsisters. She spends most of the remaining years of her youth
as a servant in her household, tending to the needs and whims of the
three. On her way to rescue a fellow servant from prison, and under
disguise as a countess, she meets Prince Henry, who is searching for
a bride to avoid having to marry a Spanish princess he doesn't love.
Danielle continues her disguise as the countess as she is overwhelmed
by the Prince's attentions and soon the two fall in love.Things get a
bit dicy, as Danielle knows in her heart that she must tell him she
is but a lowly servant, but she is torn by the prospect of losing
Henry, especially since her evil stepsister Marguerite will most
likely marry him should she be out of the picture.
Cinderella redux, only without the
magical aspects. The makers of this film smartly attempt to make an
earthly Cinderella story, and succeed brilliantly. It does take a
bit of time to reconcile Drew's inability to adopt a British accent
(although they are supposed to be French), but the rest of the cast
is splendid, especially Angelica Huston who has terrific fun being
the wicked stepmother. The film moves along fairly stale for the
first half, but after the initial setup, it pays off with a terrific
and moving last half. Gorgeous costumes, beautiful scenery, and lush
settings make for escapist entertainment that is easy on the eye and
amiably pleasant for the heart.
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